


The Imperial Penpal

by synthysammy07



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: AU where Prompto lives in Niflheim and befriends Noctis by way of writing letters, Long Distance Relationship, M/M, Might have very brief angst, Promptis - Freeform, Ravus is in this!, fluff is certain, penpals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2019-02-26
Packaged: 2019-05-04 06:58:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 74,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14587527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/synthysammy07/pseuds/synthysammy07
Summary: Noctis Lucis Caelum, crown prince of Insomnia, is in his final year of high school. He has tests, studying, and projects due. Then, he gets a penpal to add to the list, thanks to his advisor.Prompto Argentum is in his final year of high school. Aside from plenty of homework, he has a part time job in the evenings and is desperate to get out of the Empire. One day, a trip to the office rewards him with a small Ray of hope. A penpal from a foreign country.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Keep in my mind for this series:  
> Anything typed under *** is Prompto's pov.  
> Anything under --- is Noctis's point of view.  
> +++ Is for time gaps. 
> 
> So here's my latest series! Enjoy!

******

The day started off foggy and damp, buildings hidden behind the fog. The sudden sound of the train passing became scary, like something out of a horror movie. The worst part about the whole thing was tripping on potholes that were normally visible when a sunny morning existed. 

Thin legs wobbled after a small trip up with one of the smaller potholes on the street. 

“Ow. Ow, ow, ow…. And ow.”

A notebook fell to the ground, revealing the name, Prompto Argentum. It was written in a comic book style in red pen with a cute drawing of a chocobo right next to it. Some of the loose papers had slipped on to the damp road, causing a shriek to emit from the blond that dropped the notebook.

“Crap.”

The way the morning was starting was a sign of the day ahead. The young man held his books tight in his arms, holding the wet pages between his fingers so the ink wouldn't bleed through. The dampness of the fog wouldn't make this process any easier.

Another school day having to explain what happened to his assignments. Prompto walked on, greeting those who passed by him with a good morning and a smile. He would hold onto the expression for as long as he could. Pretending to be happy was a tough job.

Prompto was hoping for some kind of change. He had a job but was kind of boring. There was school but he didn't have any friends. On his days off, he did the only thing that could make him a tad happy: taking pictures. He could snap a photo of any dull area of the land he called “home” and make it look as if it were a place of big dreams and happiness.

He had aspirations of roaming Eos freely one day. He'd get on a train and visit Tenebrae, sail over to Accordo and then take the ferry to Lucis. Of course, he'd have to make his way to Galahd too somehow. There was so much of the world to see. All the pictures he could take.

Prompto, walking through the halls of his school, felt more like he was in a prison. Who makes a place to learn out of metal? Not to mention the lack of air conditioning at the moment. Why would the emperor care for a lowly high school like this, anyways? Not like many people here graduate.

The young blond puffed as he sat himself at his desk. His head, out of habit, lowered onto his arms he crossed over the tabletop, eyes closing so he could continue to imagine the real world of Eos. So many types of plants. Trees, taller than the metal poles that were inconveniently placed around sidewalks and parks. 

The wildlife would be a sight. Ferocious beasts and calm herbivores roaming around without a care in the world. The chance to sightsee cities more open than this hell hole. Streets were it was possible to breathe in actual air and not fumes coming from dirty factories and old cars. 

Lucis is supposed to have some of the best vehicles in all of Eos. Getting to look under the hood of those would probably be the greatest experience. The smell of rubber and gasoline flowing into his nose would be heavenly. Car shows and garages just dying to get special treatment from his camera.

“Prompto Argentum!”

Prompto shot his head up from the manly growl coming from his teacher. He slept thirty minutes into his class without even realizing. His wonderful classmates never bothered trying to wake him. This meant only one thing.

“Principal's office, Argentum. Now.”

Here we go again. The blond lazily pulled himself and his belongings away from his desk and walked out. That was one way to kill his dreams. Send a young man with big aspirations to the office so he can fail and not graduate.

A few left and right turns and Prompto made it to the office. Stepping in was like entering a whole new world. The principal was formerly from Tenebrae. He taught their till he took this job. Like everyone else, he was fooled by colorful propaganda and higher pay. So naturally, the guy was pretty miserable.

The surroundings and furnishings were elegant and delicate looking. The sound of a gentle waterfall poured from the tiny radio on the desk. Live plants flourished in the bright lights and white and silver lined walls. The principal, however, wasn't as… lively. In fact he was doing what Prompto was sent here for. Sleeping.

“Um… sir?”

A grumble was his response.

“Sir.”

Prompto reached for the tiny radio and flipped the switch to off. Immediately, his principal shot up from his nap and cleared his throat.

“Ah! I was merely resting my eyes! Why? Who pulled the alarm this- oh… it's just you, Prompto.”

“Yup… just me.”

“For the love of the Six, Prompto. It's only Monday. You couldn't have waited to daydream until Wednesday or something?”

“Nope. You know me.”

The blond sat on the chair in front of the wooden desk, putting his bag on his lap and holding it like a teddy bear. The principal in front of him sighed, an eyebrow cocked high as he shook his head.

“C'mon, Prompto. You're a bright kid. Stay in class. Pretend to be interested.”

“I am interested. The teachers aren't though.”

“So what, then? I've given you detention, janitorial duties, suspension. What am I supposed to do to prevent you from being a dropout?”

“I dunno. Send me away to a far away land? That be nice…”

“The only way that's happening, is if you graduate.”

Prompto slid down the chair, arms dangling off and around. He desperately wanted to scream but decided not to… for the sake of the delicate items in the room. There was no way he was going to graduate with the way his teachers treated him. Out of everyone, only the principal understood him. 

He was forever going to be stuck here. Always in the principal's office with nothing more to say.

“I just want to see the world… I can't do that if I'm trapped here.”

“And you're trapping yourself by being sent here. Look. If I could magically send you away, I would. I love when kids have big ambitions to leave home and travel. That's why I push you few good youngsters to graduate.”

They were silent once more with only the ticking of a clock to be heard. The older man began shifting through files in his desk, as well as pull some out. His heavy breathing began to set in the more he moved around. 

Prompto watched, occasionally tapping on his backpack to add sound effects to the display before him. If only this guy was his teacher. He'd definitely be more interested in learning.

“Here. Fill this form out. Sign up for the pen pal program. It's funded by the emperor, supposedly, and for travel enthusiasts like you. Sign it and give it to the counselor.”

“Pen pal? People still do that?”

“Of course. Now get moving.”

The principal handed the blond a pen and shifted his focus to his computer.

Maybe this idea wasn't so bad. Getting to write to someone from far away in a more civilized establishment would be cool. Seeing how writing styles differ and how fun their life is elsewhere.

Yeah, this could possibly suck. Prompto didn't see how this would work but, he'd give it a try. He filled out the information and preferences sections. He was desperate to leave sarcastic remarks but he refrained. As much as he wanted a female pal, he chose for a guy. He didn't care about their location or whether or not they shared similar views. 

He put his mailing address and signed, hopping off the chair as he finished.

“May that motivate you to stay awake in class.”

“Uh… sure. Laters, sir.”

“Uh-huh. And back to class when you're done.”

Dang. He'd hoped to avoid class today in favor of more janitorial volunteer work. 

He closed the door behind him and began his walk to the counselor's. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…. Eighth step. Prompto turned a knob and walked into the counselor's dimmed office. This room also had plants. The fake kind, of course. And a jar of butterscotch candies as well as a sticky note pad that was six inches thick. The walls were beige but, that was only noticeable if one looked through the spaces in between wide bookshelves.

Prompto closed the door behind him, quietly since the counselor was busy with her tiny zen garden. It always fascinated the young man how a Galahdian woman made her way to this hell hole. Quietly, Prompto sat himself on the extremely cushioned chair and waited. 

Five, very long, minutes passed. The counselor looked up and smiled, tilting her head with delight. Her dark brown locks covered her smooth, ebony skin, making it difficult to make eye contact. With a flick of her head, her hair was out of her face. 

“Well, hello again mister Prompto.”

“Hi, ma'am.”

“Daydreaming again?”

“You know me.”

Prompto giggled a bit but stopped when he noticed his counselor holding her delighted look like a robot. She was a bit strange, but that's what the blond liked about her. She was different from so many people here. Her unique background was fascinating. The many paintings she had of the landscapes and people, massive knowledge of folklore, and best of all, the food. 

It was the most awkward stare down to ever happen. Then again, this always happens to everyone who comes in to talk with the counselor. She was never the one to break contact and never tolerated ridiculous behavior. She was definitely more scary than the principal.

“What can I help you with?”

“Uh, well… the principal gave me this form to fill out for a-”

“Penpal! Excellent! I've been waiting for him to give you this form since your second visit to his office! People have lost touch with their pens, but you, Prompto… I know you'll appreciate the lost art of pen palling!”

Excitedly, the counselor yanked the form from Prompto's thin fingers and stamped it with great force. Her hands flung out a binder, thin but definitely filled with documents. She flipped through pages of forms and worksheets till she happened upon the start of the last section of the binder.

Prompto looked over, noticing the next couple of pages were of profiles. His eyes met with his counselor's gleaming gaze and shining smile.

“Pick from any of these!”

Her chipper voice rang through Prompto's ears like a horn. His freckled face scrunched as he slowly browsed through his options. Two from Tenebrae, one from Accordo, three from his own country, and two from Lucis. 

“Decisions, decisions am I right?”

“Uuuuh, yeah.”

Prompto scratched his head before settling over one of the Lucian profiles. 

Name: Noctis  
Age: 17  
Birthday: August  
Pen Pal Gender preference: “Don't care.”  
Hobbies: “I guess games, fishing and sleeping.”  
Interests: “Same as hobbies.”  
Favorite pastime: “Same as hobbies.”  
Additional notes: “Same as hobbies.”

“Oh! This one definitely screams, best friend to Prompto!”

“Definitely…”

The guy seemed interesting and had a cool name. Maybe they could write about their favorite games or something. At least it be less painful when communicating with someone from a land just begging for an imperial kid to explore.

Prompto nodded for this Noctis guy to be his pal and the counselor got to work right away in sending an email.

“I'm so excited for you Prompto! And I hope this goes well for you! Sometimes it's good to have a long distance friend to get yourself back on track! Mark my words Prompto! After a few letters, you'll be nice and happy and ready to graduate!”

“I hope so-”

“Here! Take these! It's a starter pack stationary bag! Once you run out, though, you have to buy your own stuff. Okay?”

The counselor's smile, at this point, was wide. She looked as if her face was stretching and her lips would never return to the center. Prompto accepted his new stationary and slid it into his backpack. He honestly didn't expect for this to go so quick, with the exception of the five minute wait when he first entered.

“Once I get an email back, I'll provide the address to you and you can begin writing!”

“Thanks.”

Another awkward moment. His counselor returned to her miniature garden without muttering a single word, leaving Prompto to stand in utter silence. He slowly and quietly made his way to the door and began slipping out.

“Straight back to class, Prompto…”

His counselor gave him a thumbs up without looking up. The blond only managed a squeaky “ok” before closing the door gently. He let out a sigh he desperately needed to let out as he walked back to class. 

His mind was beginning to return to his adventures, only this time, he was imagining a guy named Noctis with him. He pictured a dark haired, brown eyed guy with tanned skin, probably always in jeans and combat boots. 

The rest of his day didn't improve so that meant, janitorial duties for later.

\------

Prompto walked home, seeing as to how he had the day off from work today. He basked in the hot sun before concluding it was burning him. It wasn't everyday this place was sunny. Thinking more on this pen pal ordeal, he could send pictures. They would definitely over glamorize Gralea but, anything to keep things interesting.

But what if this Lucian guy doesn't like writing with am imperial? What if he was getting his hopes up for nothing? This really could be what helps Prompto get out of this shit hole for good.

The blond, now faced with his front door, turned the key into the keyhole and walked in sluggishly. 

“Home…”

Nobody answered, like always. If someone did then he'd most likely have to call someone about getting rid of ghosts. He started pulling curtains open to let in the late afternoon sun. Next came the preparation of a semi homemade meal. Nothing better than canned chili, crackers, and lemonade he made with imported lemons from Tenebrae. He got lucky getting the citruses at the grocery for a low price. Imported goods had insane taxes after all.

Homework was usually done during his dinner, then was his bath. Most days, he spent fifteen minutes showering. Today, he gave himself an hour, letting the cold water relax him. With the day he's had, it was a well earned sixty minutes of relaxation. And since he lived alone, emancipated and responsible, he usually walked out of his tub with only a towel around his waist or nothing at all. Not like he had much company to worry about.

As the stars began breaking through the night sky, Prompto closed his curtains, grabbed his backpack and took to his backyard. There, he climbed up his neighbor's fence, carefully reaching for a ladder that was forever broken and stuck to the roof of his home, thanks to imperial officers raiding his next door neighbors place. Long story short, they just left it there and didn't pay for damages.

Once Prompto was fixated on his roof, he criss-crossed his legs and went over his homework, correcting anything he thought had a wrong answer. His mind wandered to the name Noctis and what kind of person it belonged to. 

“Oh…”

He remembered his starter pack of stationery items and removed it from his backpack. It came with paper with the school's cartoon mascot on it and their slogan of, “Ruff em up!” Yeah… the school mascot is a dog or, rather, a cheap knockoff of Kenny Crow.

“I wonder if Noctis has Kenny Crow merch… it is a Lucis thing after all... ”

Also in the pack was a box of fifty envelopes, a book of fifteen stamps, two pens, paper clips, scented markers, a notepad, and a coupon to the office store with no expiration date. Not a bad little pack. 

Everything was returned to his backpack. The young man sprawled out over his roof and stargazed.

“Please. Astrals… if you guys can hear me… let this be a damn sign. I really wanna get out of here. Please…”

Tears rolled down Prompto's cheeks. He was really hopeful about the whole thing. And he knew nothing drastic would happen at first but, he still hoped this would have some kind of affect on what happens next.

For now, Prompto began the waiting game. Something he was never good at.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since I've written two chapters already, I'm putting up the second as a "series premier" special of sorts! That, and, it's a shorter chapter than the first one! :)

\----------

A crumpled up paper flew across a very wide room, just missing the trash can it was intended to land in and joining other paper balls on the ground. A loud groan echoed in the room as well as a slamming of arms on a desk. Startling the other figure in the room, he turned to his grumpy charge.

“Get a hold of yourself, Noct.”

“I can't! I have this fuckin-”

“Language. By the Six…”

“Ugh! I have this damn test to study for and I can't grasp these stupid theories! They're expecting written answers for this crap!”

A dark haired boy with blue eyes looked up to meet with green eyes looking down at his papers scattered across his desk. Theories on behavior and development. 

“Ignis?”

Those green eyes locked on to the blue orbs before him.

“Noct… I went over all of this with you.”

“Yeah. And I told you, you confused me with the theories and theorists and your opinions on all of them.”

“They weren't opinions… they were facts the books don't seem to have.”

Noctis dropped his head on his arms dramatically, his groan muffled and his feet flailing back and forth like a deranged child. Ignis picked up his young charge’s papers and began sorting them out accordingly. Of course, this lead to him organizing the small desk. A newly clean work area would certainly lead to fresh new ideas.

“Ignis?”

“Yes?”

“Can you take this test for me?”

Ignis let his arms fall to his sides as he gave Noctis a look. Bright, blue eyes blinked childishly before giving up on his schemes. A hand grasped the young man's shoulder, a light squeeze bringing his attention back up. 

“Perhaps lunch is in order.”

“Yeah. Sounds good.”

Noctis put down his pen and followed his accented advisor out of his room. It wasn't everyday he got to leave that room, mostly because he was rarely their. He had spent the vast majority of his life living elsewhere with Ignis. Then one day, his father called him back. Something about more bonding time. Noctis couldn't help but feel bullshitted. Since his return, he's only recalled seeing his father five times. 

His only desire, at the moment was to get away from it all. The crown, the royal duties, the crownsguard, the constant babying. He just wanted things to go back to normal- living with Ignis who knew all of his likes, dislikes, and easy to talk to. Another problem with this move was the time spent with Ignis. It dwindled to only a second in the morning. He's always being called to meetings, gatherings, trainings, and hasn't had much of a break until today. Shouldn't he, the prince, be going to these meetings or having a say where HIS advisor goes? 

Ignis drove them to a nearby cafe, stocked with Ebony coffee and fish dishes fit for the pickiest princes. Their meal together was a quiet one, save for any crunch or sip they took. Noctis stayed focused on his food and thoughts. The barramundi that he savoured, covered in a spicy sauce, came from outside of the city walls. Somewhere that wasn't surrounded by walls and street lights.

Living alone was a fun experience, despite whatever Ignis says about cleaning. Maybe, just maybe, Noctis could convince his father to travel outside the walls. What was the point to the wall if there was no war? If he can make it in the city, then he can make it out there. There was bound to be places to stay, like a lake house or something.

“Noct, wipe your chin.”

Noctis ran a finger over his chin, sighing emptily. His head lowered as he cleaned his finger with a brown napkin. Sensing some sort of trouble, Ignis put down his knife and fork and gave full attention to his prince.

“What troubles you, Noct?”

“Gah…. It's nothing. Just, wondering what meeting you have next.”

“That's not until tomorrow. Eight in the morning, to be exact. Covering all of the previous topics discussed-”

“Do you want to go?”

“To the meeting, you mean? Or out of the cafe?”

“Meeting.”

“I have to Noct. In your place as you participate in community focused activities.”

Noctis rolled his eyes, rolling his head from left to right. A few crackles sounded off as the roll popped his neck. He gazed at Ignis who sat patiently in the midst of incoming exasperated sighs. The prince chopped up his fish, harshly, as he asked again.

“But do you REALLY want to go to some boring meeting?”

“Noct. I know-”

“Just say the word, specs.”

“No. We are not skipping out on another important day of meetings and gatherings. Absolutely not. Do you want your father to scold you again?”

“Sure.”

The sarcastic tone of his prince sent Ignis back to eating. Perhaps these act ups were for his father's attention. Good or bad behavior is rewarded, after all, positively or negatively. And if this was the only way Noctis was going to be able to really speak to his father, then neglecting royal duties was the way to do it.

It was a bad idea, yes. At the same time, Ignis couldn't help but feel awful about the distance between the king and his son growing further apart. They're both good men but when it came to communication with one another, it was painstakingly awful.

Ignis, eating the last of his lunch, looked Noctis, honestly, in the eye. 

“What exactly do you have in mind, Noct?”

Noctis immediately smiled, the corners of his lips practically touching his earlobes. Not a second was spared by the prince as he blurted out his plan.

“I say we exit the city, and head for the best fishing spots out there in… wherever the good fishing spots are!”

The chamberlain’s eyes widened. Quickly fixing his glasses atop the bridge of his nose, Ignis took a sip of water to help clear out the near choke he almost experienced.

“No. Absolutely not. Noct. Do you have any idea what's out there?”

“Opportunity.”

“Wild beasts...”

“Freedom.”

“Wetlands.”

“Fish!”

“A hot volcano.”

“Tons to explore…”

There was no changing the prince's mind. If there was anything Ignis wanted most, it be to see Noctis forever happy. Leaving the city would definitely make him happy. However, Ignis didn't wish to drive him further apart from his father. They deserve to have each other in their lives and to tell each other stories of their adventures. But what stories would the prince have if his father never let him create his own? 

This was a tricky situation. One Ignis saw coming. Noctis, in his last year of school, was ready to leave this all behind without really knowing why. The young man was confused, and lacked the father he loves dearly, whether he admits that or not. Ignis wasn't about to let Noctis make a mistake he'd regret later on.

“This is weird.”

Ignis eyed the prince in front of him, scanning the screen of his phone thoroughly. 

“What is it?”

“Read this.”

Ignis took the phone presented to him and began reading through the email Noctis received from his school. It was odd before it all made sense. 

“I don't remember signing up for a… penpal? Is that what that is? A penpal?”

“Yes… … … you do know what a penpal is, right?”

Noctis puffed and rolled his eyes at his advisor. He signaled the waiter for the check, waiting for Ignis to explain the email to him. A few minutes of concentrated reading and the advisor smiled. He gracefully handed back the phone and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“What?”

“Its as it reads. They matched you with a penpal.”

“Huh? You mean the school? But I didn't sign up for one.”

“No. Of course you didn't. I signed you up.”

“Why!?!”

Ignis took the check from the waiter who scurried about nervously around the prince. Perfect timing. This would be how he changed the prince's mind, if only for a little while.

“Noct. Please. Hear me out.”

“No way.”

“I think a penpal is just what you need. Get to know this-”

“Stranger?”

Noctis slumped in his chair, watching a couple of birds flying by as Ignis continued.

“Yes. Get to know this, stranger. I mean… eventually, after so much writing back and forth, penpals tend to want to… meet. In person.”

Noctis peeked up at Ignis from his low, slouched position. Meet a stranger? Ignis wasn't someone to just let Noctis meet a random person. Especially not knowing if this person was real or nice or trustworthy. 

The advisor had a way of convincing his prince, except with vegetables. However, this wasn't a persuasion over eating veggies. The idea was interesting. It could be something to try out. Noctis remained suspicious of the man in front of him. Ignis was a good schemer, after all. 

Or maybe, just maybe….

“My dad put you up to this, didn't he?”

Ignis blankly stared at Noctis without a blink. That annoying poker face he was good at. He removed himself from the chair he sat and went to gather his prince from his slump.

“I put myself up to this so you can have other experiences besides video games and sleeping.”

“Speeeecs…. Are you kidding me?”

“No. Now let's head back and study. Then, we can start on your first letter.”

Noctis cursed, a mumble under his breath. He walked with Ignis back to the car thinking his advisor was just joking. Letter writing with a stranger now?

As if studying and homework weren't enough.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> +++ is for time gaps!
> 
> Here's chapter 3! Finally! Hope y'all enjoy!

***********

School dragged, like always. This time, Prompto kept his head up in his classes. Math, history, science. He was attentive and ready to work. All the C’s and D’s were going to become A’s and B’s. Getting out of Niflheim was going to happen. Meeting this new penpal guy was also going to happen.

Prompto had a pinch of doubts. The other person may not write back at all or, this Noctis dude could be some old man posing as a student. However, the potential outnumbered the cons and hope remained alive. 

“Argentum.”

“Huh?”

Prompto looked up from his calculus worksheet. 

“Counselor's office. Now.”

A quick smile made itself on the blond’s face. He quickly left the class and made way to the counselor. It had only been a day of waiting. Agonizing waiting. Constant checking of the clock and tapping of pens and pencils. Now, like a sudden beam of light, he gets called to the counselors. 

Prompto stopped at the door, taking a deep breath. This was it. A possible ticket to getting out of Niflheim. The doorknob was cold as his hand grasped it. The quiet squeak of the hinges made Prompto so nervous, he felt as if he would puke. Dimmed lights showed off the familiar Ghaladian lady at her desk, sorting through files and eating vinegar, salted chips. 

“Wonderful! You're here! I have great news for you mister Prompto!”

“That's great.”

There was no matching her enthusiasm so Prompto didn't try. But on the inside, he was a screaming, fidgety mess. His counselor dropped what she was doing and hurried through her computer files. Five loud clicks and the turning of a computer screen later and Prompto was face to face with a confirmation email.

“Wait. Um, who's name is that?”

The email was signed off by an Ignis Scientia. The counselor turned the screen back to herself briefly before whipping it back toward Prompto. 

“It's just the adult signing off! No biggies! Now! Head over to the printer and pick up that address! There'll be three pages waiting!”

“Is his address three pages long?”

The counselor laughed way too hard despite the sarcastic tone. Prompto smiled and waved off the Ghaladian woman. Upon exiting the small room, the blond leaned against the door. There was a light feeling with less of a weight on his shoulders. The last time he felt this giddy was when he finally had enough money to buy his camera.

The journey to the library began. The librarian was a bit… shy. Weird since this was a place of interactions with many teachers and students. She was nice but, very quiet and quick to shush even the slightest hint of a sound. 

Double doors squeaked open and, immediately the librarian peeked up from counter. She was hidden by a bulky, yellow pullover and a stack of three history textbooks. Not to mention thick, curly hair surrounding her head and face. Her dark, brown eyes quickly scanned Prompto, up and down, before straightening herself up. She cleared her throat, though it sounded more like she was humming softly. 

With a couple more steps, they were eye to eye with the counter to keep them divided. The sudden approach made her take a step back.

“C-can I help you?”

“Uh… yeah. I'm Prompto. A senior. The counselor sent me here to pick up some papers from the printer.”

The librarian, though hard to tell at first glance, had a spooked look about her. Her head snapped toward the direction of her printer, then back to Prompto. A muffled, nervous laugh within her pullover was probably the weirdest thing the blond had ever heard at school. He tried smiling at her but she had already dashed toward the printer. 

When she returned, her hands fumbled around with the papers and a stamp of approval on the last page. In a very cautious manner, the librarian slid the newly stapled papers on the counter and toward Prompto. 

“Thank you, ma'am.”

“H-hold up, um, Prompto. You uh… you need to sign in so I have proof you were here.”

Prompto, collecting his papers, noticed the sign-in clipboard being pushed toward him, ever so slowly. He sighed, reaching for the pen in the yellow caddy on the counter. What looked like chicken scratch was actually his signature. Everything else, date and time, were written neatly. 

“You know… uh. You could be a doctor.”

Blue eyes shockingly looked at the librarian that never made small talk.

“How so?”

“Cause. You know. Because doctors have horrible signatures.”

The shy librarian covered her mouth and walked away as she laughed to herself. Prompto didn't know how to register this strange moment in his life so, he exited the library. All he could think of were the possibilities. School couldn't end fast enough.

+++

Work. Prompto was called in for inventory at the department store he worked in. New stuff came in and they needed the extra hands. It felt like everyone knew how anxious he was to get home. He was held after the bell rang, there was a mad search for one of his textbooks, his usual walk home was detoured because of a car crash, by the time he was five minutes from his house… that's when work called.

The only positive was the offer of extra pay. The work environment wasn't atrocious but some people loved gossiping about the blond loner. The other co-workers were cool though. 

Prompto ticketed items. One by one. Took inventory, which went on forever. Then stocking the shelves, making way for new displays. Only one casualty that was a set of cracked bowls. Even though it wasn't Prompto who dropped it, he took the blame. Had he not, they would've been there longer and he just wanted to go home already.

At last. Four hours later, it was ten in the evening and Prompto was beat. Despite this, the blond still wanted to write his letter. If he left it for tomorrow, he would forget what he wanted to say. 

A heavy backpack dropped to the ground, dirty, black combat boots kicked off, and green and blue striped socks were flung across the room. Prompto sat at his three foot long desk, turned on his lamp, and pulled out paper and a pen. The stationary set from the counselor came with plenty of envelopes. Thankfully.

He clicked the pen continuously, his finger tapping against the college ruled paper left over from yesterday's homework assignments. Finally home, no homework, his weekend off, and now… Prompto had no clue how to start his letter. 

Frustrated, he got up from his squeaky desk chair and made way to his small kitchen. Maybe eating would help.

+++

One hour of the night now lost to three luncheon meat sandwiches, half a family sized bag of chips, four cookies, and a strawberry flavored soft drink. Eating was not helping and at this late hour… weight gain was inevitable.

Prompto groaned. He stared at the blank paper, frustrated. He knew what he wanted to say yet, for some reason, he couldn't recall a word. A weird nervous sensation over took his stomach. Maybe this just wasn't meant to be.

Eyelids began to flutter. Blue eyes blurred as sleep began to overtake the young man. His mind began to wander everywhere. Noctis… what a name...

+++

The familiar alert tone of a chocobo screamed in Prompto's ear. His entire body jolted then stiffened into an upright position. Once clear of his surroundings, he blinked profusely to help with the sunshine breaking through his window. Morning already? 

Fingers popped as they rubbed droopy, tired eyes. A nice, long stretch finally prompted the blond to get up from the chair he slept on all night. He was definitely going to feel sore and achy today.

The biggest pain, however, was the empty sheet still resting on the desk. A heavy sigh moved the paper an inch away from him. 

“I have to right something…”

And so he did. It was majestic. Artistic. Nothing but scribbles and chocobo doodles because he was completely clueless. Maybe this was something he could solve with a breakfast sandwich and juice.

+++

Prompto ate. After that, he went on a jog. Once he finished, he returned home and showered. When he was done dressing himself, he went grocery shopping but he took some paper and pen. Just in case.

Then he was home, happy with writing down “Dear Noctis…” and “Hello.” But what next? Prompto organized his pantry with the new groceries. Closing the last cupboard, he head-butted the counter. His frustration was getting the better of him. 

There was an awful, overwhelming feeling in the pit of his stomach, sending him straight to his bedroom. The blond dropped himself on his bed, immediately staring at the blank ceiling. Empty like his brain.

Suddenly, every negative came pouring in. The first letter would be a disaster and Noctis would think of him as an idiot. Just some loser who can't write for shit. A bad impression leads to nowhere, meaning he'd be stuck here forever.

“Fuck it!”

He wasn't going to just give up. He was just gonna lay it all out there, clear the air… well, the air around himself for the most part. With a nice inhale, exhale, Prompto began sliding his ballpoint pen across the slightly wrinkled paper.

“Dear Noctis,

Hello. Nice to meet you? I think? Nice to get to write with you? That probably sounds better. Not gonna lie, trying to write this letter has been tricky. I knew what I wanted to say but then I didn't. It was weird but I'm really glad I'm doing this.

So, in case you don't know, or maybe you do, my name is Prompto Argentum and I live in Niflheim. It's a… good enough place. I'm in high school, a senior (not like an old person but a student. Haha), and I have a job at a department store. Oh, and I like to take pictures with my camera. Mainly some scenery stuff but also animals. One day, I'd like to travel to different places and take some snaps of the things I see. Right now it seems like I'll never leave but, I'm determined to get out of this place. School is kind of a drag. You're in high school too, right? Do you hate tests as much as I do? Hey, so, If you have questions for me I'd be happy to answer. We should get to know each other, right?

I guess, with that, I'll ask what do you like to do for fun? Actually, my main question is, do you have Kenny Crow merch? I hear it's a big thing in Insomnia. One of my bucket list things is to visit every dinner and take some pics of them. Do you have any big plans too? You don't have to share all your personal stuff. 

Well, I hope this letter reaches you safe and not torn up. I once got a thing in the mail and it was torn up a bit. Oh well. Here's to wherever these letters lead up to. Can't wait to hear back from you.

Friends(?),  
Prompto Argentum”

+++

Prompto stopped by the post office, stamped letter in tow. This was it. The moment of truth. His palms warmed up, fingers trembling as he opened the collection box. Instead of letting go, he gripped it tighter. 

“You can do it Prompto…”

The blond closed his eyes and relaxed his fingers. A secured envelope with his letter inside, slid downward to the back to be sorted and sent. There was no turning back now. The first part was done with. Next… waiting.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Yay! Sorry for the wait!

\------  
The smell of hotcakes hit Noctis’s nose at six in the morning. Another day of school. More school work, more homework, more tests. It never seemed to want to end. What could be more boring than the same old routine everyday, making good grades, and coming home to no advisor to help with homework? 

Noctis shuffled out of bed, still annoyed by the fact he was living at the citadel and not in his apartment that was conveniently closer to his school. His feet scurried about till they slipped into basic, dark blue slippers. Sliding in pure drowsiness, Noctis made his way into his bathroom, noting the new bottle of strawberry scented hand soap by the sink. Honestly, if Ignis wasn't around, he'd be forgetting to replace half-empty items all the time. 

Finishing the first of his morning routine, the prince bumbled out of his restroom and back out into his cast bedroom. Ignis was at his desk preparing his prince's breakfast. Two squares of butter adorned the stack of four hotcakes along with freshly sliced strawberries and a dash of imported Tenebraen syrup. On the side, fluffy scrambled eggs, two strips of garula bacon, and a cup of Duscaen orange juice. Also fresh. 

“Smells good…”

“Good. I made them a few minutes ago.”

“Cool…”

Ready to close his eyes once more, Noctis sat on his chair. He wants to eat but sleep was more appealing at the moment. His cheek rested on his warm palm, elbow pressed on top of the desk to keep his head off the surface. This position was more than enough for five more minutes. 

“Is that enough syrup for you… Noct?”

The faint sound of a snore escaped the sleeping prince, causing Ignis to chuckle. Every morning was a chore. Trying to wake Noctis was like trying to make him eat vegetables. Though, unlike getting him to consume such foods, there was a way to wake him. It was nothing dramatic.

Ignis took hold of the arm keeping Noctis's head up and pulled it away. The prince, now without his palm for a pillow, hit the desk abruptly, making him snap up quickly to rub his forehead and nose.

“I hate when you do that!”

Works every time, though. And only Ignis was allowed to do that. 

“Eat up. You have your essays to write today.”

“Yeah, yeah…. And you?”

“I'm not writing any essays today.”

“Smartass… I mean, what are you doing today?”

Ignis gave his prince a knowing look. Why ask a question he knew the answer to. One may never know, of course. 

“Meetings… right…”

“I should be back by ten.”

“It's fine. I'll just, watch a movie or something.”

The advisor's expression changed. It was hard knowing Noctis missed him. He knows how much he enjoyed his freedom out in the city. The prince's plans of leaving out to the open world crossed his mind. Perhaps, letting him go would help in his overall independence and self esteem. Getting to see the world and meet new people… Even despite his laziness and somewhat moodiness, he'd do great in socializing.

There was still the matter of reconnecting with his father. There would be a ton of regret if that bridge wasn't fixed. 

“Iggy?”

A flash of a palm flew by Ignis's face. He snapped out of his thoughts to give Noctis his full attention.

“Need me to do anything while you're gone today. After my written exams, I'll be out of school.”

“No. But thank you, Noct.”

“Sure…”

Having finished his breakfast, the prince gathered his leather messenger bag and his umbrella. He waved bye to Ignis, bracing himself for five long hours of school.

“Oh. Noct. Before you leave-”

Noctis halted,one foot already stepping out of his room. Blue eyes targeted his advisor, still looking like he belonged in bed.

“Yeah?”

“Stop by the sorting room to see if you've received a letter. It has been a week since the confirmation email was sent.”

Noctis tilted his head, confusion stepping in for a moment. Confirmation email? He blinked profusely for a second before the lightbulb in his brain lit up. The penpal thing. How could he forget? Ignis signed him up without even consulting him. So not only does he have essays to write, but now he has a letter he'll probably have no choice but to write.

With a nod and acknowledging groan, Noctis left, knowing he probably wouldn't see Ignis again until the next morning.

+++

Many faces looked on at the prince in their ordinary school, in an ordinary uniform. Girls gawked and gossipped endlessly. Boys just snickered or ignored him. He wished everyone ignored him. 

Noctis made way to his homeroom where he sat in silence. The occasional classmate asked him one or two questions or how he was doing. Others were more shy around him. He didn't mind conversation or two but, too much attention was overwhelming. 

Each class was a bore. Long lectures would send the prince into hibernation. He missed a class and no one seemed to notice until a student who sat in the same seat came along. The boy carefully shaked the prince, knowing full well who he was. Two, three more attempts till finally, he clapped his hands together close to the sleepy head’s ear.

“What the-”

“Uh, um, I'm really sorry prince Noctis. I had to…”

Noctis stared at the guy, wondering who he was. Many eyes focused on the two, even the teacher, who just now noticed one of her students hadn't left her class. Before he knew it, he was yawning and pulling himself off the chair.

“Thanks. I think…”

The prince pat the other student's shoulder and left the room. Everyone else was in awe and said nothing. Noctis continued his day. He sighed, rubbed his eyes and somehow, someway, stayed up for his last class. 

It was the usual lecture on the histories of the king's of old, the gods, the past wars, peace treaties… Just so he could tell Ignis and hear how school doesn't teach everything. There had to be a reason why his advisor couldn't have just homeschooled him. 

+++

After one of the Kingsglaive picked him up and dropped him off, Noctis went straight to his chambers. There, nothing awaited him except for a note.

“Noct,

I know you forgot to pick up your mail so I did it for you. The letter is on this very table. Please read the letter and respond appropriately and sincerely. I'll be in later than I thought.

My apologies,  
Ignis Scientia”

Cursing under his breath, Noctis set the note down and picked up the envelope. Niflheim… at least it wasn't going to be someone he knew from Insomnia. At least, not that he knew of. Could be the marshal or Gladio's dad playing along with whatever scheme this was.

Very carefully, Noctis opened the envelope. It looked to be a one page letter. Good. The prince moved himself to his bed at the other end of his room. Lazily, he tugged his shoes off and dropped himself onto his fluffy comforter. Long Day's of school always called for relaxation on the bed. Guess the only positive about being back at the citadel was it having to go to work after school anymore.

Still Noctis missed being a part of the workforce but not during rush hours. 

“Let's see what you got me into, Specs.”

He unfolded the lined paper, still careful. He'd probably get scolded if he tore the paper. Just an assumption though. It's not like any damages done would be on purpose. 

The letter was short so Noctis read it about three times. Then four, then five, till he found himself answering the questions asked.

“No I didn't know but nice to read this, Prompto. Senior too, huh? That's… cool. I'm not old either… God's, I hate school. Kenny Crow?”

Noctis looked up from the letter and toward his bookshelf. The top shelf was loaded with collectables including Kenny and Kelly Crow. Plushies, menus, stickers, stamps, a coloring book, statuettes, and two tin lunch boxes. Did he have Kenny Crow merch? 

“I'd say yeah. You'd probably like the diners but all the cool ones are…”

He stopped himself and quickly leaped out of bed. Immed, Noctis was sitting at his desk and swiftly pulling out a paper and pen. He better respond before he lost his thoughts.

+++

The door to Noctis's room opened quietly and slowly. A few clanky keys made a little noise but nothing worth waking up over. Clearly they weren't since no one came dashing toward the door. 

Ignis closed the door, not squeak or a thud in the process. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair. Meetings, conferences, workshops, training, special skills training, magic training- Ignis went through it all today. His body wanted nothing more than to sleep. 

The advisor had other plans though. He was entirely sure if Noctis would be awake but it was a chance he took. Since he had a key to his room, Ignis let himself in to make sure the prince was still breathing. Sure enough, he was. Calmly. Contently. His breathing was steady and his snores few and quiet. 

“You're such an angel when you're asleep, your highness.”

Ignis leaned over and kissed his prince's forehead. Something he always did since they were little. The advisor exhaled a gentle but exhausted puff of air. He started to think he was too other of sorts to walk to his private room. 

It was settled. Ignis took only his belt and blazer off, hanging them neatly in the prince's closet. He untucked his shirt, unbuttoned a couple of to buttons and made himself at home next to Noctis on his bed. 

“Oh…”

Ignis took immediate notice of the papers over Noctis's abdomen. One appeared to have been fold as the other was a tad crinkled. Thin fingers snuck the two papers off the prince. It seemed he had read the letter after all. There was definitely some uncertainties.

It would seem this Prompto kid was relatable and was like Noctis. The letter was a nice read and short. That meant the other paper was definitely the response letter. Ignis smiled, reading what Noctis had written, smiling more at the end of the letter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Noct's letter will be in the next chapter! :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fell a little behind due to some home maintenance! All is well now so here's the next chapter! :)

****

The first two days after sending his letter were the hardest. Prompto was already getting impatient. He had never been so anxious to get something in his life. A mixture of butterflies and fireworks exploded in his stomach and there was a lot of foot tapping in class. Not to mention an old habit of pencil munching returned.

Work actually kept his mind on track. The arrival of new products and the rearrangement of the store was the perfect distraction. Five hours of work on the weekdays. Extra work meant more money for when he would need more stamps. After all, fifteen stamps could go by quickly.

Unless, of course, the other guy doesn't like writing in which he wouldn't have to worry about buying anymore. 

+++

It was about three and a half weeks past now. Prompto was a lot more calm and not quick to run out of school when the final bell rang. He learned to stop checking the mail every single hour. The postman was probably rejoicing this past couple of days. 

Friday couldn't have come fast enough. The blond turned in all his homework, turned in his graduation forms to his counselor, (who was more than excited to see him.) and actually volunteered for an after school clean up. If anything, it was to pass the time. 

Leaving the school, Prompto happened to find a lucky coin. One of those rare, emperor appreciation things made to… appreciate the emperor and his “generous” deeds. More like ignore the common plebes and make the rich people drown in money they didn't need.

Nevertheless, he took the coin as a sign and smiled.

“Today is the day. I just know it!”

And today was the day he had waited for. He creeped into the post office, avoiding eye contact with the postman. It didn't work since he sighed and commented, “you're back.” Nothing more but joking. The blond gave up his sneaking and ran up to his box, taking his keys from his pant pocket and slipping it into the keyhole.

There wasn't any hesitation. His time for that was over. The small box door opened. A single envelope laid resting against the wall of it's confinement, just waiting to be picked up. Sleek fingers slipped into the box and swiftly pulled out the envelope. It was from Insomnia. 

“Insomnia…. Noctis…”

Prompto nearly jumped for joy but refrained. Instead, he hurried home, barged in, kicked off his shoes and threw himself on his couch.   
“Moment of truth…”

That hesitation he damned earlier, returned. Prompto stuffed his face in his chocobo-themed throw pillow. A muffled scream and he was back up for air. “Just open it.” He repeated multiple times till, finally, his finger slipped between the tiniest space and tore open the envelope. 

Regular, lined paper was trifolded inside. Nothing special. Nothing wrong with that. Simplicity was good. Prompto, forgetting he ever had doubts took out the letter with a smile and relaxed. He unfolded the letter to read its contents.

“Dear Prompto,

Hi. I'm Noctis, as you know already, and it's nice to write you too. I can only imagine how tough this was for you since you had to start this whole exchange. Since we're being honest, I was pretty sure this whole pen pal thing was fake but, when I saw the address and read your letter, I felt more assured it wasn't someone I knew playing a trick on me. So yeah. Guess I'll answer some questions now.

No, I didn't know your name but now that I do, nice to read your letter, Prompto. I'm also a senior in high school and not some old creepy guy. School sucks but I have good grades. It's a lot of pointless work that we don't even need. So you take pictures? That's cool. My thing is video games. Everytime I get a high score, I just have to beat it. Play any games? I also want to leave home. This guy I know is an expert outdoorsman and I kind of want to learn from him so I can go on my own fishing trips. It's very relaxing. As for work, I used to work restaurants, but I had to quit. Family issues. And Kenny Crow? I've got some merch. If you want, I can send you a meal card or something? Does Niflheim not have any Crow’s Nest Diners? They have really good fried fish. You'd like the place but all the cool, original diners are outside the crown city.

Okay. My turn to ask questions. If you play videogames, what kind do you play? Any noteworthy things to see in Niflheim? Hey, hope this doesn't offend you but, is Niflheim as dull as some say? What's your favorite food? Do you like pinball? Is this too many questions? I don't know. This was actually kind of fun to write like this instead of for school. Hope this letter reaches you in one piece, Prompto. Will be waiting on your next letter.

Your friend,  
Noctis”

Prompto sighed in relief. He was overcome with joy and lots of it. He kept rereading, “your friend” in hopes that it wasn't some hidden, fuck you message. The blond eventually escaped the comfort of his two seater couch and sat at his dinner table. He scurried around, grabbing paper, pen, his stationary kit, and an old tin box.

There was very little rusting on the box. Argentum was carved on the side with a bit of dirt built up over time. The design was that of a black chocobo, slightly faded with stickers that hardly showed what they once were. Prompto dusted the lid and opened the box. Everything inside was well kept. Stickers, postcards, tiny collectible figurines, and an old, worn out souvenir ID from one of Niflheim’s well-known research facilities. 

He pulled a sticker sheet of cactuars, moogles, chocobos, and tiny stars that stick everywhere if not placed on even surfaces. Placing it on the table, Prompto quickly closed the box, locked it back up and put it away. He returned to his writing station, forgetting the fact it was dinner time, and began writing his response letter. If Noctis was offering to send something, then it might as well be an exchange. Stickers for stickers, maybe?

+++

Saturday definitely started interesting enough. It's not like the blond planned to relive old memories but, he had forgotten the old ID card on the table. Prompto stared at it as he ate his oatmeal. Some letters were barely legible. The picture on it partially showed a little boy, squishy cheeks and eyes filled with happiness.

Prompto put the bowl on top of the card, holding back a tear trying to escape. 

“The empire sucks. Everything about this place is awful. If it wasn't… if… if it wasn't, you guys… you'd both still be here…”

The blond banged a clenched fist on the table and left. His bedroom door flung open and immediately clogged his ears with blue earbuds. Music blasted loudly, most definitely unsafe for his hearing. But what did it matter? All he could think about was how nothing mattered. The whole world probably sucks and he's just trying to escape one hell to get to another.

Prompto dropped to his bed. His cheeks and nose were red from crying. A headache began to spread through his head. He rolled to his side, facing the night stand that was now blocking his view. 

“I wish I was the one who…”

Before he could finish, his eyes landed on the letter from Insomnia. Propping himself up with his elbow, Prompto grabbed it gently. He took the letter out from the envelope once more and read it. Then he read it again. And again. One more time. Finally, he sat up, drying his eyes of tears. The sign off, “your friend”, popped up over, and over, and over again. Like it was some kind of guiding light plln Prompto out of some hideous abyss. 

What if they really could be friends? What if this truly was his ticket out of Niflheim? What then? He could go to Insomnia. He could… take the train, take a ferry, stop by Accordo, take some pictures, go to the outskirts of the Crown City… maybe meet Noctis in person or just take the most exotic pictures he could only dream of right now.

Or what if… he's just way too ahead of himself.

“I guess I'll just…. Take a chance.”

++++

Some four hours later, well into midday, Prompto decided to pick up some groceries and stop by his place of work to buy a few more sticker sheets and a new bowl. After this morning’s boxing match with the table, Prompto came to notice he somehow knocked over his favorite ceramic bowl. 

But the increase in hours was leaving him with plenty if spare cash so, buying a new bowl wasn't a problem. This time, it was plastic. If it breaks from one fall, who knows what other material was left to protect from Prompto.

After that trip, Prompto made his way to the post office. He sighed, clearly not in the mood and everyone had been picking up on that. The postman said nothing until the blond turned to leave.

“Oh, hey kid, hold up.”

“Huh?”

The postman held up the envelope.

“This to Insomnia?”

“Yes.”

“They're experiencing delays. There's a dispute between the king and our emperor right now that's causing delays and price spikes.”

“Are you series?”

“Yeah. And the charge on this is higher until whatever dispute is settled. So that's five gil extra for the international mail.”

“Five? To the eight I already gave you?”

“Rules are rules. If it were to anywhere else, it be eight still.”

Prompto rolled his eyes, now more irritated than before. He shelled out an extra five gil onto the man's hand. 

Politics suck.

“How long of a delay?”

“I dunno. Weeks. Months.”

The annoyed blond shrugged his shoulders and let a bigger, exasperated sigh go. He gave up on trying to fully comprehend and left. Just when he thought he was finding something to hold on to… It looked as if everything was about to slip away.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Woohoo!

No school today. Not because of cancellation but because Noctis was needed at the citadel. Upon arrival, Ignis received a call from the marshal with an order to bring Noctis back to speak with the king. There was no doubt in Ignis's mind, the prince wouldn't like this. Then he was proven wrong when the young man shrugged his shoulders and sat himself back into the vehicle. The ride back was quiet but not tense in any way.

At some point, though, Noctis fell asleep. He dreamed. It seemed like eternity. Noctis was walking down a long road. Everything around him was open and hot till he reached the ocean. A lone pier awaited him. At first, it looked unstable, like the boards were rotting from the ocean. However, as Noctis grew closer, the pier was okay. No damages were visible and the port, at first glance seemed old and worn, was now brand new and inviting. Poles were in place, Angelguard off in the distance and-

“A… boat?”

Noctis took a step forward and found himself at the end of the pier. He glanced down, his eyes meeting the water. He looked back up, and the boat was getting closer. A shadowy figure seemed to have been waving at him. It was mysterious yet, familiar somehow. The shadow had no face and no distinguishable, notable items to it. Was it naked? Was it just his imagination? Noctis closed his eyes tightly. Opening his eyes, the boat was still a mile away but now, closer than before. The prince smiled, a little sheepishly but, a smile nonetheless, and then waved back.

He stuck his hand out for the shadow to grab as the boat now closed in. Almost. So close. From a distance behind himself, Noctis heard a shriek. Multiple people crying and a tall, somber building was suddenly in the picture. It looked like something from the city. The same shriek sounded off, grabbing the prince's attention. The boat all but disappeared and the pier turned into floor.

One last sound. Someone calling for him. A familiar, firm voice fading as it sounded out his name. Noctis was approached but soon found his eyes closed once more.

“Noct!”

His eyes burst opened, now face to face with Ignis. His advisor was in the backseat with him suddenly, the vehicle stopped. The sudden feeling of warmth ran across his forehead as Ignis touched for any unusual temperature.

“You're okay.”

Ignis, relieved, stepped out of the car and beckoned for the prince to join him outside. Noctis rubbed his eyes. He was no longer dreaming, for that he was sure of now. But, glancing at the tone of the citadel before him, he was immediately reminded of the building in his dream. They were different, but very similar. 

“Are you alright, your highness?”

“Uh… yeah. Just groggy.”

“I see. Then, perhaps an earlier bedtime.”

“Nah. I'll pass.”

“Of course.”

A glaive approached them, or so Noctis thought he was still side by side with his advisor. Ignis was by the driver's side of the car, getting ready to retreat back into the vehicle. The prince ignored the glaive heading his way and hurried to the passenger’s side. He knocked on the window, a little shake in his arm causing it to sound brusque.

The window opened halfway, exposing the advisor hidden behind heavily tinted glass. 

“Yes, Noct?”

“Where are you going?”

“Ah. I have to pick something up. It's of the utmost importance.”

“What?”

“You'll know it when you see it later. Please. Go see your father and remember to-”

“Behave, be courteous, blah, blah, whatever. Got it.”

The prince took a couple of steps back to let Ignis drive off without running over his toes. To begin with, he didn't want to be here. Noctis figured, Ignis would be around, it be a short talk or something, and they could move on with their lives. Nope. He was wrong, of course, and now- he absolutely, one hundred percent, did not want to be at the citadel. 

The glaive had been at a halt. Noctis turned around and saw only a straight face. He stared for about a minute before ultimately sighing loudly (and annoyingly, thought the glaive.) and walking up the steps. This had better be good. After all, his father had him move back here, spent little to no time with him, and now suddenly needs to talk. 

The prince, followed close by his stoned faced glaive and entered the building. Gods only knew what was about to happen…

++++

An hour and a half of waiting... An hour and a half... The king was in a meeting, the glaive wouldn't leave, and waiting in a grand, spacious waiting room was beginning to make Noctis feel ignored. He sat down on one of the cushioned chairs, slouching just a touch. That finally got some semblance of a facial reaction from the glaive. It wasn't a good one though. 

Everything was silent. The paintings of people on the walls appeared to be following the prince's every move. No matter how are he tried to get out of their views, they still followed. 

“That's not creepy at all…”

The glaive, confused at the prince's words, tilted his head and scrunched his face. Noctis blankly stared at the man before resuming his boredom state.

After so much agonizing waiting, the king and his shield walked out of the throne room, each holding their own serious expression. Bowing slightly to Noctis, Clarus motioned for the glaive to follow him as he exited the room. This left only King Regis and prince Noctis. Not to mention the awkward silence.

Even with that, his father still looked at him lovingly. 

“Wanted to talk to me?”

Noctis broke the silence rather abruptly. His father in front of him nodded, taking a seat. As he took ten seconds to do so, Noctis couldn't help notice his father's paleness. Had something awful happened? There couldn't be threat of a new war if he wasn’t using his magic to put up a wall. 

Those ten seconds it took Regis to sit, was how long it took Noctis to zone out, eyes emptily staring straight into his father's. Regis reached out for his son's hand, the coolness of his skin shocking the boy out of his trance. Unexpectedly, Noctis jumped at the touch.

“My apologies, Noctis. You seemed to have wandered off.”

“Why is your hand so cold. Geez.”

Noctis dropped himself, once more, unto the chair he sat on earlier. Regis sighed before clasping his hands together to begin.

“Ignis tells me you're doing well at school.”

“Yeah.”

“Straight A’s.”

“Yup.”

“How goes your final year?”

“Okay, I guess. A shi- uh, I mean, a ton of writing.”

Regis chuckled. Even if his son wasn't giving him much, it seemed to be delighting him. 

“That must be taxing.”

“You should know… right?”

Noctis laughed nervously- Regis smiling more from the relation.

“Yes. As does my stiff neck.”

Noctis was close to cracking a smile but stopped himself. 

“So, are we just gonna talk about school or… what?”

“Ignis also tells me you're writing letters with someone from Niflheim.”

“Yeah. He signed me up for something without telling me. Why? Do I have to stop writing an imperial?”

“No, no. Please. By all means, I think it's wonderful. However-”

Noctis held his breath. Everytime his father said “however, but, or if” it meant there was some kind of a catch or stipulation. 

“There's conflicts between Insomnia and Niflheim at the moment. Trade deals we made in a previous issue are not being fulfilled,therefore, Emperor Aldercapt has decided to raise taxes on virtually everything going and coming from Niflheim. That said, we've done the same and, I'm afraid, receiving shipments will take awhile due to strikes. Once a deal-”

“Seriously?”

Noctis let his breath out, a low growl escaping his throat as a result. Regis leaned forward, not fully expecting this reaction. He was ready to console his son but the prince was not going to have any of it. 

Why, though? It's not like he was in some heavy commitment with this Prompto guy. If the writing stopped today, it wouldn't be a big loss. It's just letters. Yet, it bothered him. Maybe it's because Ignis did this for him and the king didn't like that. Or maybe, he felt some kind of weird connection with this guy and didn't want to simply stop writing because of some dumb argument. 

“Noctis. You're spacing out again.”

“Why am I even here?”

Regis dropped his shoulders, knowing where this was going. Unfortunately, this was how most of their conversations ended.

“Noctis. I only-”

“You don't get it. You say you want to spend time with me but you're just here. I get it. You're king. But why move me back here, stuck in this place, when we're not even going to spend “quality” time together?”

The prince stood up from his seat, puffing his cheeks like a two year old. He paced before ultimately deciding he was going to leave for his room. 

“Noctis. My son… I wish there was more time for us to share.”

 

Hearing his father's words, he turned around. For some reason, that hit him hard. Like his father punched him directly in the heart. He turned around after he pushed the button for the elevator.

“There would be if you made time…”

He left Regis to himself. Inside the elevator, he pushed himself against the wall, banging his head in frustration. Why on Eos would he say that? More time? 

Noctis shook his head and wiped a few tears that strayed away from his eyes. 

“Damn it! Stop crying!”

Noctis tightened a fist, trying to over power his crying. Somewhere in the blue of his tears, a vision of that mysterious building from his dream appeared. Only, this time, there was a stethoscope at his feet. Drying his, Noctis squinted his eyes to get a better look. His shoes were all that showed now.

The elevator dinged shooting signals to the prince to wipe tears rapidly. The last thing he wanted was a glaive tattling on him to his father that he was crying.

Instead, he ran into a wall. A wall covered by a pullover… and a cap… and amber eyes examining the mess in front of it.

“Gladio? Tsk…”

“Hey. Don't “tsk" me. You're the one tha- Hey… are you crying?”

“Shut up.”

Noctis walked around his own shield, ignoring the somewhat smug look he thought he saw. Far from it. Gladiolus was overcome with a instinctive worry he developed over time when it came to Noctis. Something was definitely wrong with the prince. He was going to follow, for sure, but was stopped suddenly by the advisor.

“Let him go, Gladio.”

“You sure Ignis?”

“Yes…... but do get him around five o'clock…”

“Why?”

Ignis held up a nice bundle of papers from the prince's school.

“Ah. Got ya.”

+++++++++

It took several weeks for the prince to get out of his funk. Weeks turned into a month and, within that time period, he was stricken with the same nightmare over and over again. The lack of sleep was causing headaches, fatigue, inevitable sleep sessions during class, and sleeplessness at night. The few hours he managed were always interrupted by the same. Damn. Dream.

But that rough period was over. Though his grades had hit the C’S and D’s, he managed to pick them up pretty quick. The teachers, and Ignis, were more than pleased with the results.

There was one thing that had crossed his mind frequently. Would there be a letter? Maybe Prompto was worse since he was from Niflheim. He too, was probably facing issues with the ongoing disputes. The few times he had checked for anything, there was nothing. Was this whole taxing nonsense annoying? Yes. Yes it was and the prince did not believe in the virtue of patience.

“Surprise!”

Two petite arms wrapped around Noctis from behind. The pure joy coming off the surprise hug meant only one thing.

“Hey Iris.”

“”Hi Noct! We're here to pick you up!”

Noctis turned around, Iris still clinging to his back as if he were one of her moogle plushies. Behind them was Gladio, weird smile on his face. He was in between defeat and caffenation likely due to picking up Iris and Noctis on top if all if his other duties.

The prince flashed a small smile, grasping Iris's arms to keep her attached. Many of the other high schoolers were shocked to see a little middle school student on the usually loner prince. It was cute to the girls who also couldn't stop staring at the tall bodyguard of the prince.

“Let's go. I'm starving.”

“You're always starving, Gladi!”

Iris stuck her tongue out at her big brother, Noctis doing the same. 

“Let's go Iris. Before he starves.”

Iris giggled, earning a light smack to her shoulder from Gladio.

++

Homework was finished, snacks were eaten, and Iris fell asleep on the couch of her house. The boys finished up some much needed training to release some tension while polishing up on the prince's technique. It was hard fought but Gladio's commonly expressed conclusion was always, “You still need more training.” 

They sat on the floor, making a point to not get sweat on any piece of furniture. Noctis and Gladio watched as Iris slept, a pink moogle in her arms that her father gave to her when she was ten. Gladiolus placed a dark brown blanket over her. The same one their father used when he came home in the wee hours of the morning and slept on that very couch.

“Must be rough on her.”

“You say something?”

Gladio eyed Noctis who immediately threw a throw pillow in his direction for being a smart ass. The big guy laughed as he deflected the item, noticing it's close encounter with his little sister.

“Hey. Don't hit Iris, jerk.”

“It would've been your fault.”

The pillow was tossed back to the prince. The young shield relaxed against the couch, all seriousness taking over his playful expression. 

“It's pretty damn rough on her. But she understands.”

“But why?”

“Why, what?”

“Why does she just have to understand? I mean… does she ever get time to spend with him?”

“Last conversation with your old man still bothering you?”

“No!”

Gladio quickly motioned to Noctis to keep his voice down.

“No… I mean… it's just, he could make time instead of wishing for more…. You know what I mean?”

Noctis twiddled with his thumbs, staring at his palms as he did do. Gladio understood but he was the wiser of the two. Anything he says right now wouldn't pierce through the prince's skull, no matter how convincing he sounded. The day he walked away from the king made the atmosphere in the citadel tense. Regis didn't get to tell him everything.

Time was cruel and even for Gladio, this was true. He turned back to look at his little sister then back to Noctis who remained silent. Now was a better time than any to try to cheer him up.

“Oh. Forgot to give you this earlier. Iggy said it arrived this morning.”

Gladio got up and walked to a table adorned with a vase holding an arrangement of flowers. A few envelopes were smothered beside the marble vase, one of them now being carried to the prince.

“He also said he'd try to see what he could do about getting your letters out quicker.”

The prince looked up at the hand in front him. A single envelope from Niflheim was waiting for him. Eyes widened and he snatched the letter from the large palm. Swiftly, Noctis opened the envelope. For sure, there was a letter but also something else. 

Gladio watched the scene before him. The prince was smiling and whoever it was that he was writing with made that possible. 

Noctis pulled out both items. A sticker sheet of different mascots surprised him. It was certainly unexpected. In a good way. Cactuars,moogles, and chocobo stickers shined in his eyes. Eagerly, noctis unfolded the letter.

“Dear Noctis,

Hello from Niflheim. How are you? Hope things are going good on your end. Oh, and, heads up. I've inserted a sticker sheet along with this letter. You got me intrigued with meal cards and stuff. So I'm proposing a fair exchange of sorts. I can send you cool stuff I find in exchange for cool things you find. It's up to you. Just thought sending some home-exclusive stuff would be, well, cool

So anyways. Yeah. I play videogames in my spare time. Mostly RPGs and the occasional first person shooter. I definitely play pinball. Actually, in regards to if Niflheim is dull, the arcades I play pinball and skeeball at, are probably the only few interesting places about this place. There was this one research facility they used to give tours in but,it closed down years ago. I've got a few things from there that I can share with you. And gotta be say, when. It comes to food, I love the spiciest. Spicy chili bowl? Bring it on! (<\- I'm a dork. Sorry.) If you don't. Mind me asking, might sound dumb but, this expert outdoorsman you wrote about, does he have a book or anything? I'd like to learn a few things myself. Especially if I want to travel for the sake of photography. Unfortunately, no Crow's Nests over here. Just the occasional, rare merch we get at the store I work at. I like fried fish. Spicy batter would probably be really tasty. What's your favorite food? Can I guess fish? What's your highest score in any pinball game ever?

Anyways, I hope you'll consider my exchange proposal and if you ever need to know anything about Niflheim for school’s sake, feel free to ask. Glad to be of any help. Also, your letter came in one piece. Yay! I'm having fun writing too let's keep it up.

Your distant pal,  
Prompto”

Noctis was lifted by this letter. Though he wasn't a spicy foods kind of guy, he definitely likes bowls of chili. With great care, Noctis began folding the letter back up.

“So who's the 'expert outdoorsman’ he was talking about?”

“Gah! Gladio! What the fuck!?”

Noctis panicked and stuffed the letter back into its envelope. Gladio laughed,backing away from the prince. His face covered in sheer horror was priceless.

“Are you writing about me? D'awww. Noct, I'm flattered.”

“Shut up. Ugh. You're so annoying.”

Gladiolus dug his huge elbow into Noctis's smaller arm. He would take every irked on hit at this moment. Though it was heartwarming to see that Noctis seemed to have opened up to someone. This only solidified the fact that Ignis had the right idea. Noctis was going to be needing support from someone else with no ties to anyone here.

“You gonna send him one of your punched out meal cards, or what?”

“Gods! Did you read my whole damn letter!?”

“I read faster than you.”

Noctis looked at the sticker sheet for a moment and smiled again. This was a record. His cheeks kind of hurt from the sudden strange facial exercise happening. 

“No. But I will send him a brand new meal card. Maybe one day he'll be able use it…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Busy weeks! Sorry for taking forever! Had some job interviews and since school is out, I've got babysitting to do! I write in between everything! Whatever! Hope y'all enjoy! Thank you to all with patience and willing to stick around!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapterrrrr!

*****

Niflheim was plagued with thunderstorms lately. The rain was falling constantly, consistent in flow. It wasn't weather to be taken lightly and some areas got flooded easily. Luckily, Prompto lived in a high rise neighborhood where flood water seeping in was almost impossible. 

The school left an announcement on their website as well as with the local news channels to let students know class was cancelled. Not for one day. Not two. A whole week. That would've been fantastic for Prompto but, he eventually got the call from work. No one was to come in. They, unfortunately, were being flooded and that meant a loss in merchandise, money, and the blond’s payday being reduced from its usual amount. Thanks to one of the (only good) laws put in place by the emperor, businesses had the right to call in for help from the military or other first responders to aid in times of need, disasters, burglaries, clean ups, whatever.

Before that, businesses handled their own problems with no aid in sight. In the end, that meant no work for Prompto. No big deal. He had plenty of money saved up for emergencies. Right now was one. He was out of sea salt and vinegar chips. He needed those chips because, a whole month and five days went by and no letter had been delivered. Eating chips would make him feel better.

Political crap sure knew how to ruin everything. Prompto, putting on his yellow rain boots, face palmed suddenly. If there was going to be no more letters, and had he known, he would have never sent that sticker sheet. But, he tried to stay positive. There was still a chance the letter made its way safely and the stickers are in a new home. Hopefully, with someone who'll appreciate their rarity. The company that made those stickers were bought out by a bunch of big business type of guys.

“Gosh. This place really does suck.”

Sighing, Prompto pulled his dark blue windbreaker over himself, grabbed his clear umbrella, and walked out his door. After locking up, he noticed right away, a fleet of imperial ships in the sky. The typical bland colors made the skies more gloomy. And the red ship. 

The blond did a double take. Nope, it's really a red airship. The only officer in the imperial army with an airship was the commodore. Aranea Highwind. Behind her aircraft was one of the more, roomier, luxurious airships. The fleet was heading toward Gralea. Most likely, whoever was visiting, was here to see the emperor over in Zegnautus Keep. Why else would anyone come to Niflheim?

What a sight. As cool as it was, Prompto didn't want to stay out for too long. He walked along wet sidewalks, watching water build-up drive itself down the drains. The occasional frog or tiny lizard crawled about, hiding under anything to avoid being crushed by passing feet. Luckily for Prompto, his camera was always ready on his person. 

Stealthily, the blond crept as close as he could to a blue colored frog. It almost seemed frozen. The pose would do for now, and as Prompto pushed his trigger finger down for a shot, the frog jumped.

“Score!”

Prompto immediately reviewed the picture he just snapped with a wide smile. It was the perfect, mid jump shot of a metallic blue amphibian.

“Thanks little froggy!”

Prompto returned to his rainy walk to the convenient store nearby his home. As much as he wanted to go to the grocery store for lower prices, it wasn't really an option. The rain wouldn't let up, not even for a moment. He got to thinking if whether the rain could get just as bad in Insomnia. They probably had better awareness and contingency plans for in case things went bad. 

Because it's Niflheim, it was impossible to read up on other countries. The imperial council deems others laws and takes on life primitive and pointless. 

“Noctis must have it good…”

At the very least, Prompto hadn't really experienced many difficulties with the government. Especially, after what happened with his parents. Give the kid a monthly check and he'll be fine. Right…

The convenient store, or, rather, a twenty-by-twenty cube, was stuffed with food, drinks, cigarettes, condoms, candy, coffee, and scratch off tickets. All over priced but conveniently placed for three neighborhoods and big businesses to reach when in a hurry.

Well, Prompto was definitely in a hurry and was certainly glad this tiny cube existed where it did. He stepped in after facing the sudden heavy downpour of rain that washed over him. Could've also been one of the local misbehaving kids pouring buckets of water on people but, with this weather, it was hard to tell.

He wiped his feet on cardboard just begging to be torn apart after getting so soggy. There was no point in this ritual. The floor looked as if it were poorly mopped with dirty shoe prints all over. There were two other customers already inside stocking up on junk food. The same plan the blond had in mind.

Every step was a ride. Twice, Prompto almost slipped, each time wondering why his yellow rain boots were not saving him from the awkward eyes of the others. He held onto the shelves as if he were at a skating rink. The dead silence just made the situation worse but when he reached the chip aisle, it was a well fought victory.

“Chips at laaast.” 

Four big bags of sea salt and vinegar chips were cuddled into his arms. Three packs of gummy bears, two bottles of mocha iced coffee, and one six pack of cream soda. Everything was balanced in both arms, glasses clinking against one another, bags sounding like they'd pop open any moment. The cashier studied the young man, not moving in with a helpful hand. 

That, too, was awkward. Having done this risky balancing act before, Prompto made it safe and sound. He smiled at the worker, unrewarded with a smile back. 

“Oh! Jerky!”

Prompto reached down for two packs of teriyaki beef jerky and added it to his stash.

“Any tickets to add to your purchase?”

The monotonous words of the cashier had Prompto close to laughter. Rewinding back to the question, though, he thought about it. He didn't necessarily want one but, the Niflheim special, for five gil, was just begging to be sent over to Noctis. So the blond nodded, pointing to the ticket in mind. 

“All set. Enjoy the binge, kid.”

Prompto did his best to ignore that comment. Why'd he have to put it that way? The blond tied the three bags, with his goods, to keep as much rain out of them as possible. He could run back home but then there was the risk of slipping into a puddle of embarrassment. 

Which, the walk home was just as interesting as the walk over. Now there were luxurious cars and armored vehicles rolling down the street. People stopped in awe, watching this rare parade drive by them. A fancy guest in this weather? Who'd want to visit a soon to be disaster area? 

Prompto took out his camera as quick as he could, just barely getting a few shots of the vehicles passing by. He'd definitely be checking these once he was back home. It really was a treat to get some sort of excitement around here. Though, like anything with a bit of flare or fun, it would soon leave and all would be back to boring. Or dull, as Noctis had put it. 

The guy isn't wrong. Niflheim is pretty dull. What sucked was the fact that someone from a different part of the world knew how bad this place sucked. Insomnia was definitely a place of wonder and adventure.

“Noctis…”

The blond, having reached the street that would take him to the post office, stopped. By that time, the rain was actually calming down. There were no breaks in the sky, however, the sudden halt was welcomed by any walking the streets like Prompto. Bright, blue eyes scanned the road, spotting the building he questioned going to. There was no way anything would be there for him. 

But if there was…

Prompto turned on to the street. No sidewalk for safety so he was stuck navigating through potholes and puddles. No surprise, a small sinkhole adorned the lane to his left. There was fun to be had, despite the dangers. He jumped over traps, splashed in some puddles, took pictures of leaves adorned with raindrops, and set a curled up leaf onto running water heading for toward more drainage spots. That, too, he took a picture of.

His little excursion got him to the post office a lot quicker than if he had just walked. Prompto closed up his umbrella, shook the water off, and walked. No cardboard to soak up the water but, rather, a soggy carpet that was beginning to smell. 

“Geez.”

“Hey, kid. Good to see ya again.”

“Uh, good to see you too?”

That was not the reaction he expected from a citizen of the empire. Not too mention, Prompto was certain this guy was tired of seeing him here. To his own credit, he hadn't been checking for two weeks. Maybe that's why the postman was less annoyed? 

“Got some of your mail in the back since your box is full.”

“It is?”

Prompto reached in his pockets for his box key…. His box key that was not on him because checking the mail was not a part if his chip mission.

“Um, haha, can you uh, maybe get all the mail for me… Please.”

The blond smiled cutely, like a child charming his way out of a mess. The postman was already gone, picking stuff out from his customer's box. It wasn't the world's largest stack but, it was plenty. Prompto reached for everything, tucking in a few magazines and envelopes into one of his grocery bags. He'd leave the checking to when he was back home. 

“Thanks.”

“Yeah, no problem. And, there's also this package.”

Prompto raised an eyebrow, confused at the little he was receiving. It was from Insomnia. From Noctis. Blue eyes went wide, a smile instantly forming. A small shake of the package rewarded his ears with a faint sound of movement. Curiosity definitely built up within the blond.

“Anything else kid?”

“Nope! Thanks! Bye!”

And in an instant, Prompto was gone. Running down the street was not a problem this time around. Puddles were splashed, small reptiles scared away by rushing feet, but no slips or trips. Prompto turned back on to his original route but braked abruptly at the sight of luxurious cars and armored vehicles parked on the center of the road. They were the same ones from earlier. 

Whatever was going on, there were a bunch if Imperial soldiers on both sides of the street, including two by his house. The closer Prompto got, the more he felt eyes on him. He didn't mean to put his head down so much but the presence was making things awkward. Obviously, he was approached by a soldier whose face was hidden under a tin sheet. Or at least that how Prompto would describe it.

He was being examined from head to toe. No word was muttered. He wasn't even sure this soldier was breathing. 

“State your business.”

“I live… right there.”

Pointing to his house, the soldier turned to look at the place. 

“Very well. Proceed.”

“Uuuh, so what's going on? There some kind of crisis or something?” 

“You don't know?”

“Um. No?”

On the other side of the road, figures emerged from one of the houses. At first glance, it was kind of blinding. There was shiny armor on a dull rainy day. Big and hulking just like in a video game. It took Prompto by surprise then he saw the commodore herself. A Dragoon armored woman joined the others outside, waiting by the door for anyone else yet to leave the inside.

Just from what little he saw of the commodore's face, he could tell she was beautiful. Now, if Prompto had to give biggest badass award to anyone, it be her- Aranea Highwind. Stories of her mercenary days were filled with intense battles and glorious victories. One day, before leaving Niflheim, the blond made it a goal of getting to chat with her.

After a while, Prompto walked up to his front door, placing his plastic bags to the ground to pull his keys from his pocket. It was a struggle, a result of eating a luncheon meat sandwich late at night and making his pants a bit too tight for his liking. He stuffed his fingers deep, wiggling them till they touched warmed up metal. Pulling it out was just as hard that when he finally got the key to freedom, his hand made contact with more cold metal behind him.

Turning around, he was immediately face to face with the very Dragoon he admired from afar. His heart stopped, face pale or red or, possibly both.

“I…. Um. Yeah… hi?”

Prompto was frozen. The commodore before him had her hands on her hips.

“Okay? We're being graced with the Oracle's presence. Are you in need of assistance?”

“Uh… … … … … … assistance?”

Aranea let out the most disgruntled sigh, removing her helmet to comb her hair with her fingers. 

“Yes. Assistance. You hurt? Sick? Something?”

“No. Not that I, uh, no of. Nope.”

“You sure?”

Prompto nodded, reassuring the woman in front of him. She turned around, ready to get this moment over with.

“You're Aranea Highwind, right?”

“Yeah. Who's askin?”

“Prompto… Prompto Argentum.”

Her head cocked ever so slightly to the side hearing his name. Specifically his surname. Everyone else around them had turned at the name. Prompto knew that would happen. 

“Commodore! What's the hold up?”

A tall male from the other side of the street called out for Aranea. His hair was white, regal garbs covering him from top to bottom. He wasn't from around here. Too bright, the blond thought. The way he sounded also. His accent. Definitely foreign. The commodore did mention the Oracle. Sure enough. A smaller figure emerged from the house, simple white dress accenting her shape perfectly. No doubt about it: that was Lunafreya Nox Fleuret of Tenebrea. 

Prompto wasn't too sure how he should be reacting at the moment. Soldiers, royalty, Aranea. It was a lot to take in for someone who hardly sees anything exciting. Prompto scuttled closer to his door, key ready to unlock the door quickly. 

“Hey kid.”

Prompto faced Aranea, obediently, even though she simply called out to him without demand. He was a nervous wreck. He gulped and managed a half assed smile.

“You sure you don't need any kind of assistance? Once in a lifetime opportunity.”

“I'm fine… but thank you. I appreciate the offer…. Not just for me but, for everyone here. You know?”

The white haired guy rolled his eyes, clearly impatient, as the Oracle smiled at Prompto and his appreciation. Though she was going to approach him, she was stopped by the grumpy one and taken to her escort vehicle. She managed a nice wave to Prompto in which, he waved back. 

Aranea nodded, sighed, and joined the rest. The soldiers joined soon after, everyone of them back in their preferred transportation. Prompto leaned against his door, letting all of his nerves settle. 

“What was that?”

A moment of eerie silence passed before Prompto kicked at the air around him.

"I missed photo opportunities! Dang it!"

He closed his eyes as he took in a deep breath and took to opening his door finally. The blond picked up his bags, walking into his home at last. So much time had passed. In a way, that was a good thing. However, it all left Prompto feeling overwhelmed. And he learned something. His family name still carried on within the empire. 

++++++

A two hour nap and a shower helped tremendously. And feeling like himself again, Prompto took out his sea salt and vinegar chips and began his munching. Cream soda was soon uncapped and all mail he had picked up was waiting to be sorted on the couch. 

Ten in the evening already. Time sure flies when you're busy. Hopefully reading through some nature photo magazines and gaming stuff would tire Prompto's eyes out. Though, that probably meant he'd fall asleep on the couch.

Then he remembered the package. Prompto shot himself up, seeing he left the little box on his two foot by three foot coffee table. He lazily reached for it, barely scraping it toward him with his fingertips. The tape on it was easy to peel and sticky as hell. It hurt tearing it off his arm when it clung to him. 

Peeking into the box sent from Noctis were some nice goodies. Meal cards…

“Crow's Nest meal cards!?”

Prompto laughed with delight. Next were the collectible coins only given out on birthdays to redeem endless fries for the day. 

“I wonder how many he has that he sent three.”

Last was a shiny metallic card that read, “Member of the Nest”.

Now this was the perfect way to end the night. Prompto cleaned off any chip residue from his fingers (onto his pants) and read the letter.

“Dear Prompto,

Hi again. I'm well for the most part. (Thanks for asking by the way.) Your letter took forever to get here but that's not your fault. Stupid policies, am I right? Hope you're doing okay. After all, a month pretty much just went by. Didn't think I quit I'd you? I'll admit, I was starting to worry till I found out about the delays and strikes. And about your trade proposal, I accept. There's some Crow's Nest stuff in this package for you so hope you like them.

Now. My most recent score in pinball is 923,052. I recently beat my old score of 717,003. I'm aiming for the million mark next. What's your best score? Also, I need to know your score in skeeball as well. I'm a bit of a pro so...yeah. my last score was 820. About the whole Niflheim being dull, I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable. I don't think I thought that question through. But if I had to name one place that sucks on this side, I'd say Leide. Too Sandy and there isn't a whole lot there. Just a garage my dad knows about, a motel, and a hunter Outpost. I only know that because the road to Galdin Quay is through Leide. And while on the subject of travel, my “expert outdoorsman” will be willing to share tips with you. Next letter though. Just don't expect a book. My favorite food is fus. You guessed it. What gave it away? I once ate a really good spicy curry plate but, I didn't catch what ingredients were used in it. It was good though. You'd probably like it. That sticker sheet you sent was really cool. No one makes cool stickers anymore. Not s big fan of the puffy ones. Now I'm hoping meal cards and coins were a far enough exchange. And that metallic card is a rewards card. You know, in case you find your way to a Crow's Nest. You just need to fill out the info on form card and mail it off. They're old school, low on the tech, that way. 

So, help in Niflheim history? I'll take it and, if you need help with Insomnian history, say the word. Or write it. I don't think I'd be able to hear you if you said from where you're at. That's… an awful joke. Okay, this is where I end it before I make more bad jokes.

Hear from you later,   
Noctis”

Through so much excitement and odd events outside, Prompto fell asleep, head rolling back to the arm of the couch. Though it still seemed impossible, Prompto now had a new sign of good things to come. He has meal cards and a rewards membership to sign up for and mail off. Maybe, just maybe, he was meant to leave the dullness of Niflheim after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this some hours ago but, sleep is a precious thing to me. When I fall asleep I try to stay asleep. Some days are worse than others but I'll live! :D enjoy the new chapter!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Believe it or not, I've had this chapter planned since the first chapter! And this is the first time I've ever planned out any chapter for anything I've ever written! So I hope y'all like it! :)

\------------

Noctis picked up the pace. On the way home, Ignis informed him of the newly arrived letter. Whatever Ignis did, the mail came in about two and a half weeks. The prince eagerly began a small jog down the hall, ignoring any crownsguard or glaives lingering around that might've told him to slow down. At his door, there was a corner of an envelope sticking out from under the thin opening of the door. 

A quick squat down and Noctis was back up with the envelope in his hand. It took only a second to unlock his bedroom door and throw his stuff on the ground. One of his fingers slipped under an opening and tore open the envelope. With the letter now exposed, Noctis pulled it out, noticing a thickness to it. 

The sound of the door made him look up briefly. Ignis walked in, looking at the door like something magical just happened. 

“You left the door unlocked?”

“I forgot to lock it.”

“Ah… you should leave it unlocked.”

“Nope.”

Noctis sat himself at his desk, ignoring the sound of Ignis sort of tripping over his uniform jacket on the floor. Carefully unfolding the letter, Noctis was met with a glossy, beautiful picture of a blue frog jumping in the rain. It was awesome. There were three more photos and what looked to be a scratch off ticket. The letter itself was a tad crumpled, most likely due to wetness. 

“Dear Noctis,

First of all, holy crap! Everything you sent me was AMAZING! The stickers I sent you don't even compare to this! Thank you so, so, so much for the meal cards and the coins (how many of these do you have???) and the member card! I really appreciate these...these...treasures! Thank you! Here's hoping you enjoyed the stickers. Yikes. I'm still pretty hyped about going to a Crow's Nest. This just solidified me having to get out of here.

Okay, yeah, so anyways. Hi! How are you? Anything interesting going on? It's been raining like crazy over here. Streets are flooded, schools cancelled, no work for me, and some food items are limited right now. I mean, by the time you read this, the rain would have stopped. I hope. It sucks but nice to have time away from any kind of work. Mind sending some of that pesky sand from Leide? Guess it finally got so bad that the emperor called for the princess of Tenebrae herself, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. She seems super nice. Oh, and, don't know if you know who Aranea Highwind is (former badass mercenary) but I got to meet her face to face. It was kind of intimidating but cool. Not to sound like a total perv but they were both really pretty. Having the Oracle around has really lifted people's spirits. Mine too, I guess. Hey, about the full Niflheim comment thing, I really took no offense to it. It's really dull when nothing like heavy rains and Oracles visiting happen. So no worries. Now… about that pinball score. Geez! I only have a score of 700,000 or so. And you're aiming for a million!? Dude. Wow. My skeeball score, though, is 953. Maybe I'll get 1000 one day. Or soon. I like to think I'm a pro too. So what gave away you liking fish? Oh, I dunno, fishing and fried fish maybe? Dude, I love spicy curry. The spicier the better! Now that I think about it, I'm dreading going back to school. There'll be make up days. Feels like school will never end. Does school keep you super busy too? Ever wanna just yell out loud because of stress and all that wonderful crap? What are the schools like over there? The ones here are like steel walls and guards everywhere. Nobody is even violent enough to have this much security. I dunno. Wish I could homeschool myself but, imperial law dictates I must have an adult over the age of 21 to teach me. Oh well.

Enough of that, though. Sometimes I think I sound depressing. You sound fun though, which is great! Then again, I can't hear you (wink, wink.) That's totally not a seductive wink-wink! My next offering is some pictures. I took these on my way to buy sea salt vinegar chips. Also, there's a scratch off card with chances to win 10, 20, 50, or 200 gil. Hope you win something! Good luck!

(Pic 1. Blue colored frog in mid jump.)  
(Pic 2. Decent, least blurry, shot of the fancy black car Lunafreya was in. I'm assuming, of course.  
(Pic 3. Leaf w/water droplets.)   
(Pic 4. Leaf sailing to the drain.)

Can't wait to hear from you,   
Prompto” 

Again, Noctis looked through the pictures. This time, he studied each one carefully. They were so well taken, it might as well be coming from a professional photographer. He would definitely be sending that compliment his way. 

So much information in this letter. Luna was over there. Of course she was. It's kind of part of being the Oracle. Her being in Niflheim definitely meant the area was in bad shape or that old man of a ruler just wanted her there for show.

“Hey Iggy.”

“Yes, Noct?”

“How long has it been since I last saw Luna?”

“Lady Lunafreya? It's been about…… ten years. If I recall, your last meeting with Ravus went rather horribly. You told him he looked like he had bird crap for hair.”

“He started it!”

“Either way. You shouldn't have said that.”

Noctis rolled his eyes and looked back at the letter. Many years could pass and his advisor would never forget that conversation. It wasn't nearly as bad as whatever Prompto must be going though. The flooding caused closures and cancellations. It was even enough for good shortages? The prince eyed Ignis, who was jotting down, possibly a recipe, in his notebook. 

He had an idea. It was probably a great idea but, this too, was most likely never going to be forgotten and always brought up when he didn't feel like talking about it. However, he was really liking his penpal and felt maybe he could do something to help him out. Like, using his title of Prince to slip some gil his way or something.

But before he could do any of that, Noctis took his pictures and stuck them on the wall with double sided tape. Before he knew it, Ignis was behind him, admiring the pictures above them. Not just the gloss but the angles and thought put into these images. Also the fact that his prince, usually alone or with his retainers, was enjoying a friend's gift. He didn't believe Gladio, at first, when he said Noctis was sending some of his own items to his penpal. 

“They really are lovely pictures. I'll pick up individual frames for them if you'd like.”

“If you want. That be cool, I guess.”

“Perhaps one larger frame to house all four of them. I'll look into it.”

“Thanks.”

Ignis patted the prince's back and returned to his notes. Noctis just looked at the pictures, contemplating on what he wanted to do. The only way he would know what to do is if he brought it up. 

He sat himself at his desk, Ignis on the opposite side, concentrating on paperwork. This probably wasn't the right time to bother him… but that's never stopped him before. So he slammed his hands against the desk, a bit harder than he wanted, and grabbed his advisor's attention.

“So. Is Niflheim in some sort of weather crisis, issue… or something?”

“I believe so… they had a lot of rain recently. Why, if you don't mind me asking?”

“I just… it's just. Prompto lives over there and he sort of wrote about it and we joked about sand from Leide…it gave me an idea but, if it's not so bad anymore then I don't see the point in dragging this out.”

Ignis smiled, trying to glimpse at Noctis who avoided his gaze.

“They are still in need of many resources. Maybe not so much sand but, funds for damage repairs, cleaning kits, gasoline for their vehicles. I can speak with the king abou-”

“No. I'll… I'll ask him.”

The advisor was shocked. Not only was the young man really enjoying this pen pal, exchanging gifts, and leaving his door unlocked, he also wanted to speak to the king on, what's usually, a political manner. It was much more to Noctis. 

“Okay. Then, shall I inform the king of your visit?”

“Geez. I'm his son, not an informant. I don't think you need to do that.”

“Ha ha. Very well.”

As Noctis examined his scratch off ticket, he didn't notice Ignis coming around behind him. His arms wrapped around his prince and hugged him tightly. 

“Thanks, mom.”

Noctis shook his head, a tiny smile cracking on his face from the warmth and support coming off Ignis. 

++++++

“You sure you want to do this?”

“Yes, Gladio. I'm sure for the one thousandth time.”

“Just asking. This isn't something you do on a regular basis.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Noctis took large strides trying to keep up with, what seemed to be, Gladio's normal walk. There was no chance in Ifrits flames he was going to ask him to take smaller steps. For most of the walk, he kept up.

They reached the doors to the throne room. Intimidating, not because of their height, but because of what they lead to. Going beyond these doors meant he would be addressing the king and not his father. That's not what he wanted but it was needed. Noctis took a step in front of two glaives that were in disbelief and shock. No one told them the prince would be there.

Gladio took the time to greet them in a friendly manner, knowing the two from training. That was good since Noctis was now having second thoughts about this whole ordeal. He could just send Ignis in his place and let him take the credit for the idea. Though, knowing his, excellent and humble, advisor, he would tell the king of the great idea came from the prince himself. 

Also, there was the shame he could face. The judgemental whispers about how he can't even present an idea to his own father. He didn't care about what anyone had to say about him but, more of how he could potentially embarrass Ignis. That, he didn't want.

Noctis was going to leave his issues behind. He was going to walk through that door and let the king know of his idea.

“I am allowed to walk in, right?”

The glaives and Gladio focused on their prince who stared back blankly. Moving aside, the glaives stood at attention while Gladio took to opening the doors. His smirk irked Noctis for no reason except that it was Gladio. The big dork was definitely going to remember how nervous Noctis was today as he walked into the door room. 

“At your own pace, Noct. You got this.”

With a nod and a mental thank you, Noctis walked in. He picked up his head, inched himself closer and closer, looking forward. The closer he got, the more visible his father was. And just like the glaives behind the now closed door, king Regis was also expressing a surprised visage. 

Before him was his son, by himself. No retainers stood by his side, this wasn't a mirage or some kind of high tech hologram or magic. And his young hands didn't hold any papers with written words of what he wished to say. It was Noctis. His son. Here.

The prince noticed his father's weird expression. Something along the lines of “wow” and “I'm so happy I could cry”. It was distracting. Even the king's shield looked puzzled. Clarus leaned forward, trying to understand his king's face. He whispered to Regis,

“If you wish to smile, your majesty, you can do so. I think you're scaring your son.”

Noctis tapped his foot but stopped, knowing it could come off as rude. His finger ticked against his leg, trying to find the right words.

“Uh… your majesty. I come with a suggestion regarding Niflheim and Insomnia. It could, possibly, you know, improve the relationship between our, otherwise, arguing nations.”

Regis was at the edge of his throne, now smiling as suggested by Clarus. He couldn't help it. Just seeing his son, with a suggestion, standing up straight, hair mostly out of his face; this was all so exciting.

“And what exactly did you have in mind, prince Noctis?”

“Well-”

“Hold on. My apologies. Give me a moment. Clarus, old friend, make sure the lobby is clear. And bring lunch over.”

Regis rose from his throne, slowly, grabbing his cane from his Shield. They descended down the steps to the prince who watched his father's slow movements. He wasn't this slow last time, was he? Had he always had trouble coming down those steps?

Clarus gave a pat to both backs of the Caelums as he left the king in his son's care. He only hoped this meeting didn't end like the last one. 

“Let's talk where there's more light.”

“Uh…”

The king saw Noctis take notice of his movements. There was no doubt he was laboring but, with his son here, there was a definite boost. 

“Need a hand?”

Noctis had already grabbed his father by the arm as he asked. So even if the answer was no, he wasn't letting go. Even as he opened the doors did he let go. 

No one was around, as was the king's wish. Some of the servants were just finishing up with cleaning and leaving behind lunch bags from a particular sandwich shop from outside the citadel. The royals watched as they hurried out, one of the ladies almost tripping. 

“Sandwich day, dad?”

“Of course. Lucky for you, Clarus nor Gladiolus have eaten them all.”

“Yeah.”

“So. This idea of yours. What do you have in mind?”

Noctis, midway pulling out his sandwich and pickle, looked up. For a moment he had forgotten why he was here in the first place. His father had his sandwich unwrapped already, taking a bite as he awaited Noctis's words. 

“Well. I was thinking, since they had some bad weather recently, we could offer some assistance. Ignis said they're in need of resources and food. In the letter I got, my penpal friend said certain foods were limited. What if we sent aid their way? It would show that, even though we don't see eye to eye, we still care… that sounded too sappy...”

“I see…”

Noctis began eating nervously. This was the first time he pitched something to his father by himself. The room fell silent for a moment. Regis was back in a wow, happy look. The idea was good but the “penpal friend” took him by surprise. 

Still, the silence reigned but, for once, it wasn't tense or awkward. They finished up their sandwiches, various veggies filling the crumpled wrapper in Noctis's hand. 

“Oh. In the letter, he also wrote about Lunafreya. She was there to help.”

“Really? And did your friend meet her?”

“He only mentioned meeting a mercenary named Aranea…. Highwind? I think?”

“Ah, Aranea Highwind. She's a former mercenary turned commodore in the imperial army. One of the best military leaders of our time.”

“so… … … is the idea good?”

“Absolutely. And the fact that this obvious opportunity to extend a helping hand to our friends was overlooked is sad. I'm glad that you have come to remind us all of empathy. But don't be surprised if Idiot Aldercapt doesn't extend a thank you, don't be surprised.”

“Dad? Did you just call their emperor an idiot?”

“God's. Of course not. I would never. Iedolas is a good friend.”

Noctis was close to laughter from his father's choice of adjectives. He was reminded of how the two rulers dislike one another. In the middle of a lighthearted moment, Noctis decided to push out one more idea. This one he was more nervous about. However, there was a new sense of confidence in him. 

“Dad?”

“Yes, Noctis?”

“The final part of my idea…”

“Yes?”

“Do you think I could go to Niflheim to hand out supplies?”

The king, though not showing disappointment, wasn't giving a look of approvement. 

“No.”

“No?”

“That's too big of a risk, Noctis. If anything were to happen-”

“I can handle it.”

“It's not that. We're not liked over there. If they get the chance to-”

“I wouldn't be alone, you know. Gladio and Ignis would be there and I've trained with some of the best in the citadel because YOU made me. I can handle myself.”

“You're untested.”

“Cause you won't let me test myself. I'd rather be out camping than stuck here in this place. I'd rather be in a field of vegetables. That's how desperate I am to get out of here. Let me do this.”

“My answer is final Noct. I will send aid at your request but I cannot put you in harm's way. You are the future king of Insomnia. And just now, you've taken the first steps of understanding what it means to be a leader.”

“You only see me as an heir. If being a leader means never letting your kid out to test himself and explore the world then I don't want any part of it!”

Angrily, Noctis shot out of his chair, once again, leaving his father alone in the lobby. He plucked his phone from his pocket, calling Gladio. He tried two more times in the elevator. When he didn't answer, he sent him a text. 

“Why I'd it have to be this way? He doesn't get it.”

Reaching the floor of his room, the prince rushed out, walking to his door which was left unlocked. He made sure to lock it this time. Ignis wasn't around, only a note stuck to a boxed frame. It was an eight by ten with a nicely detailed border, a few gold specs shining in the light. “Hope it's not too much. - Ignis” That explains why he wrote that.

A shaking hand wiped away tears that were never recognized as they slid down pale cheeks. How can his father say no? Luna gets to roam free. There were plenty of sick people who would try to harm her yet, he was the one being treated like a fragile child.

Noctis carefully untaped the pictures and placed them neatly in the center of the frame. Despite the regalness of the from, it fit the photographs perfectly. All he needed was a nail so he could hang it up.

“Left prepared. Like always.”

The prince caught sight of a hammer and two nails ready for him above the spot he had his pictures taped to. He carefully put the frame up and when he finished, dropped himself in his bed.

++++++

Without realizing it, Noctis had taken a two hour nap. He was awakened by a knock on his door. It started off normal enough before it became loud and abrupt. He sat up, yawning and quickly grabbing his phone to check the time. 

Not only did he realize how much time had passed, he noticed two unread messages, both from Gladio. It could be him at the door. His phone went off, Noctis reading this one and, sure enough, it was Gladio letting him know he was at his door.

“Shit. Coming!”

Noctis yelled out, hoping the big guy heard him. After a few groggy trips, he made it to his door, opening up to an ambush hug from Iris and his hair being ruffled by Gladio. 

“Hi Noct!”

Iris with her plush moogle backpack and a painted moogle on her cheek smiled and pulled out a tiny plush chocobo keychain. 

“That's for your friend!”

“Uuuuh… thanks, Iris. I'm sure he'll like it.”

The prince looked at his shield curiously.

“Oh. Her school had a carnival event. I went in dad's place. She won that keychain. Turns out her dart throwing skills are pretty good.”

“The best! I got you something too! Actually, Gladio got it for you!”

Noctis moved aside and let the two of them in, not caring that his blanket and a pillow ended up on the floor. Then again, an unkempt room was to be expected from the prince of naps. Going into big brother mode, Gladio picked up a few things, checked to see if Noctis had homework, and pried into things he shouldn't be in. Particularly the letter from Prompto.

“He liked the Crow's Nest stuff? It's hard to tell.”

“Ha. Ha.”

Iris popped up from digging into her pack and pulled out a moogle pin set. They were enamel and in various poses. She handed them to Noctis and went back to her backpack for a snack. 

“What you do to get these?”

“Well, if you must know-”

“He was flirting with the girl behind the prize counter and told her the “long” version of how he got the scar on his face.”

Gladio tugged on a small portion of Iris's hair, causing her to pinch his forearm.

“Thanks sis. Anyways, now that you know. How was the meeting with your dad?”

Noctis rolled his eyes and puffed. That reaction alone was answer enough but Gladio waited for words, he answered his own question.

“It went well till you stormed out again. Dad told me about it.”

“Yeah…”

“It really is a risk to go there yourself Noct. I'm pretty sure the person who takes you out will be hailed as a hero.”

“You would be there.”

“True and I'll take a bullet for you any day. But if I die and know one else is there to shield you?”

“Gladi! Don't say that!”

The guys turned to see Iris on the brink of crying. They both took to her side, her big brother hugging her and Noctis rubbing her back.

“It's just talk Iris… we aren't going to die. And I'd never put your brother in danger.”

“I know… I just don't want you two to die.”

“We won't. Not ever.”

Gladio reassured her and let go, brusquely wiping away her tears. She backed away, giggling from her brother's horrible tear wiping. She nestled herself into Noctis, receiving a nice hug.

“I won't bring it up again but, if he did let you go, I'm pretty sure I know where you'd go.”

“What do you mean?”

Gladio simply eyed the pictures on the wall.

“One more thing. Iris, stop at drooling on Noct and get the notebook.”

“Gladiiiii!!!”

Noctis hit Iris's brother's arm for her. She jumped out of his lap and quickly scurried over to her moogle backpack with a big pouty face. That thing was surprisingly spacious for a plush backpack. 

She handed Noctis a thin notebook, completely filled with Gladio's handwriting and Iris's cute drawings. The front page read, Tips for the Great Outdoors. It was such a cheesy title, Noctis suppressed a laugh.

“I mean. Thanks. You didn't have to fill a whole notebook though.”

“I didn't. I ripped out a lot of pages I had scribbled on. And you know how I like to scribble during meetings.”

“It's good. But the title is awful.”

“Fuck you.”

Both Iris and Noctis glared at Gladio for his foul language.

++++++

It was well after ten o'clock by now. The moon was up in the sky joined by many new and old stars. Noctis had seen Gladio and Iris out of his room for the day and cleaned up anything Gladio didn't. At least when Ignis returned, it wouldn't be to a mess. 

His letter to Prompto was ready to go, along with the chocobo keychain and Gladio's notebook. All he needed was an envelope or a box to send it all in. He looks at the pictures, one more time before settling into his bed. 

Blue eyes focused on the ceiling, his thoughts going back to his meeting with his dad. Was he ever going to let him go anywhere? Would he ever stop treating him like a child? He wanted to talk to his father. He wants everything to be like his childhood where they would hang out, fish in the koi pond before anyone caught them. He wanted to read books with his dad again and take another trip to Qualdin.

He wanted to be able to tell him about adventuring on his own one day and maybe even meeting his penpal too. A familiar sound shook Noctis from his thoughts, sitting up once again in his bed. There was a knock at the door again but, this time, it was soft. It wasn't Gladio this time. That meant it was Ignis. Without any trip ups, Noctis unlocked his door and let Ignis in. 

“Good evening Noctis.”

“Hey Iggy.”

“I see you found the frame. Do you like it?”

“Yeah. It's nice. Thanks for putting the nails up.”

“My pleasure.”

He hadn't brought up the meeting with the king yet and that made Noctis cautious. He hoped to avoid the subject at least for the night.

“I was hoping you'd leave the door unlocked again. I left my key here.”  
“Sorry… but you know why I lock it.”

“Yes, to keep your father from barging in.”

Noctis was sitting at his bed. Ignis took off his blazer and hung it up neatly in the large closet. 

“What happened, Noct?”

“Gladio came by with Iris and we did some homewo-”

“No… what happened that you locked the door.”

“Nothing.”

“Noct.”

“Nothing! Okay!?”

Noctis hardly raised his voice at Ignis. The rare burst of emotion set off alerts in Ignis's mind and he was certain something went wrong. 

“Noctis.”

“He can't just waltz in here because he suddenly wants to act like a father.”

“You can't just shut him out either, Noctis. Let him in. Let him get close.”

“I do let him! I was letting him today but he insists on treating me like I'm weak or something! Like I'm a child that can't handle life!”

“He isn't treating you like a child Noct. He's a single father, who so happens to be a king. He's only trying to protect you.”

“Protect me? What a joke. You're kidding, right? I've learned more from you than I ever have from him! If anyone keeps me safe, it's you!”

“Now, Noct. Im-”

“There's no war going on. There isn't any real conflict for him to worry about. He doesn't care. As long as he has his heir. That's all he cares about.....”

Ignis pulled a chair toward Noctis and sat himself in front of him. He had to tell him what his father wasn't able to tell him. For every time Noctis stormed out, it left Regis in a difficult situation. When he tried to reach out to his son, he was shut out. Ignis couldn't let this go any further whether it was his place to intervene or not.

“Noct….I need to tell you something.”

Noctis, eyes gazing out the window, at the full moon that gave light to an extremely dark night. He didn't look at Ignis right away. It was only when Ignis told him what was going on. What had been going on.


	9. Chapter 9

*********

Distressed, faux leather combat boots tapped the floor nervously. Prompto sat at his desk, surrounded by many other nervous tapping feet. Test scores from the first round of tests were in. It was absolutely important that Prompto passed these in order for him to graduate. They were pointless but, despite his opinion, he had to give it his best. 

Countless hours of studying was great for killing time while he waited for his next letter from Noctis. Knowing the Imperials, nothing with their issues with Lucis have been solved so, late mail once again. Though, the cleanup after so much rain was probably top priority. Schools were cleaned up first. Even poorly built “prisons" like the one the blond was currently in got help.

The teacher sure was taking their sweet time. Somehow, he was still grading a few papers. These tests were from last week. How could he have fallen behind. Prompto rested his head on top of his crossed arms on his desk. Feet still tapped, a few students groaning from the wait. The blond's mind began wander. 

Now that he thought of it… there was definitely an increase in relief efforts. Since coming back to school, he's missed a lot of what was going on outside. From stories of the Oracle to unexpected help from the outside. If it were from Accordo, it wouldn't seem unexpected. Could it have been from Lucis? 

It couldn't be Tenebrae because the princess was already here helping. Lucis was the only logical conclusion. Galahd wasn't going to help anyone, that's for sure. Prompto could only imagine what was going on right this second. But, for sure, there was relief and hopefully that meant he'd be back to work soon. 

Finally, the teacher began handing back the tests. There would be a review but no corrections. The grades were final. All that was left was to hope he did well enough to pass.

++++++

“Victoryyyyy… is mine!”

Not only did he pass his test, he received some pretty awesome mail. First up was his approval for the Crow's Nest rewards program. It came with a welcome letter, his membership card now personalized with his name and a members only sticker sheet of Kenny and Kelly Crow.

“I am now a member of the Nest!”

Next was a catalog for a photography school. During all the craziness of the past months, Prompto had been feeling confident. This new sense of positive possibilities made him bold enough to send for information on an art academy, specifically for the school of photography. And more specifically, the school of photography in one of the best schools in the world located in Insomnia.

It was possible to get in. Now that he got great scores on his test, the chances were even better. The gallery at the end of the catalog was amazing. All the pictures were gorgeous. The students featured came from everywhere but Niflheim. Prompto could make history at that school. First student from Niflheim to be featured in anything.

The blond closed the catalog and set it aside. Last, but certainly, not least was from Noctis. Save the best for last, he thought. What could he be sending this time if he needed a bigger box than last time? If he keeps on like this, Prompto was going to have to rob a bank to get him cooler stuff.

Opening the box, the blond immediately caught sight of a tiny chocobo. His hand scurried in, taking hold of the soft, squishy plush. He the felt the cold touch of the metal keyring it was attached to. The cutest, softest, plushest chocobo keychain was perfectly nestled in his palm.

“Adorable…. It's super adorable!”

Prompto gave it the biggest hug he could before peaking back into the box. Two metal pins, enamel and shiny, stood out in the dark box. One of them was a moogle in a meditative, sitting position and the other was in a happy dance kind of pose. All three of these cute accessories were going on to his backpack. 

But why a big box? His final look into the box answered his question. Prompto took out a dark blue spiral notebook and a folded up piece of paper that could only be the letter from Noctis. Before reading it, he glanced through the first pages of the notebook. It was titled, “Tips for the Great Outdoors”. There were cute drawings of different plants and creatures. Campfires, tools- every drawing was accompanied by facts, instructions, and various definitions.

That expert outdoorsman knows so much. Finally, Prompto took to unfolding the letter while settling his chocobo plush keychain on his head. He stayed up straight to make sure his chocobo didn't fall. As silly as it was, this little plush was instantly precious to him. He wondered if it would be weird if he made it a little nest or something. He shook the idea away and began reading the letter.

“Dear Prompto,

So did you like the stuff I sent you? Couldn't tell in your last letter if you did or didn't. Wink-wink back at at you. Don't know if you looked into the notebook yet but, at the very end I taped the scratch off card to it. I won something but I couldn't redeem it. The guy at the counter said he can't accept foreign tickets. More like won't accept things from Niflheim but whatever. Maybe the prize will be helpful to you after all that rain you told me about.

So lately, I've been wanting to yell out from so much stress. Believe it or not, it's not because of school. It's all family issues. I just hate how parents have to forever treat their kids like fragile glass or something. They're like evil dictators. It's stupid. I tried asking my dad if I could travel but he said no. He started saying how dangerous that is and that I'm not ready. I dunno. Sorry to vent out of the blue like this. Can I just say, though, I'm proclaiming myself your pinball and skeeball rival. You have some pretty good scores. Have you seen any Lucian aid in your area? I heard the king sent help over to help clean up. I hope so. Wish I could go too, like a volunteer. Wouldn't it have been cool if I did and we met? Do you ever think we should? I mean, we both want to get out of our homes and travel. Why not meet up somewhere along the way? I'm getting ahead of myself. Just ignore this first part of my letter. Pretend I wrote lyrics. If anyone sounds depressing, it's me. Not you. You definitely sound fun. Except for the fact that you eat sea salt vinegar chips. Ew. Do you really eat that stuff? Changing the subject from that salty mess, I got your pictures. Are you sure you're not a pro cause they're amazing. They look like they belong in magazines. How did you even get a picture of a frog jumping? They're really nice. I have them framed thanks to a friend of mine. Sorry to say I'm not too familiar with Aranea Highwind but I know Lunafreya. I’ve met her. She's very nice. If you ever get the chance, you should say hi to her. 

Don't know about you but, school is about finished over on my end. I start my tests soon. Good luck if you haven't taken yours yet. Or, hope you got good grades if you did already. As for this letter’s exchange, I've sent you a plush chocobo keychain. Actually, it's from the little sister of the expert outdoorsman I told you about. They know about the letters. She loves the stickers you sent so I hope it's okay that I let her have one. Hope you like chocobos. If not. Then I also put moogle pins. You have two and I have two. The notebook is from the outdoorsman himself. His sister did the drawings. Hope you find it useful for your future travels. Hey, and, thanks for writing with me still. I really appreciate this.

Thanks,  
Noctis”

Prompto smiled as he read the end. Friendship moogles, cute chocobos, and appreciation? This was awesome. He appreciated the fact Noctis was still doing this too. He had so much in common with this guy who was miles and miles away from him. 

Then he pondered on the question- What if they did meet? He could finish up school, save up some money for a train ticket and get out of here.

“Heh… wink.”

Prompto sighed. Though he didn't have parents anymore, he wished there was something he could say to help his friend with his dad. It wasn't his place to interfere with another's family affairs. If he said something wrong, that could come back to bite him. He bit his lip as he processed the entirety of the letter. 

A quick three knocks on the door caused the blond to twitch and his chocobo to fall in his lap. He picked up the plush and froze. Two minutes passed and another set of knocks went off. It was real. Someone was at his door.

The only time he got a knock on the door was when a representative from the school came by to make sure he was in a secure and nurturing environment. Maybe it was one last visit before he was finished with high school. Prompto popped up from his seat and approached his door casually. He pulled opened the door expecting some older looking faces.

“A-Aranea?”

“Don't get excited, kid. I'm here to give you a bucket.”

“A… bucket?”

“Yeah. Two buckets. This one has cleaning supplies, the other has food.”

“Oh. Neat! I like food. Is this from Lucis?”

“Yeah. I guess they're trying to play nice with the empire-”

“Quick question!”

Aranea placed her hands on her hips after Prompto took the buckets. He didn't ask right away, which might have annoyed the commodore slightly. This kid, however, was rummaging through the food bucket with healthy snacks and drinks that were mostly exclusive to the Crown City of Insomnia.

“Are you going to ask your question?”

“Oh yeah! Yeah! Sorry! Is Lunafreya still around?”

“Why are you asking?”

“Oh, well, I kind of wanted to meet her. And maybe take her picture… not like a selfie but, something really nice! A portrait, you know? I could send it to her.”

“She's pretty busy, kid.”

“I know…”

Though he was still smiling, Aranea could tell she kind of crushed his little dream. Her head fell back in defeat and gave the blond a confidant arm smack.

“You wanna talk to her?”

“Yeah! Really quick! I promise! And… no one is as cool as you-”

“Don't push it, kid.”

“Right! Uh, let me just grab my camera really quick! Wanna wait inside?”

Aranea shook her head and watched as the blond shrugged his shoulders and ran deeper into his home. He hardly closed the door so Aranea was able to peek in a little. It was definitely that of a young man living alone. 

“This is what you were reduced to, huh?”

After five minutes passed, the commodore looked around, making sure nothing was out of place. How long did it take to grab a camera? She pushed the door a bit to be heard by the kid.

“You ready or not?”

As he grew closer in a hurry, Prompto spit out one apology after another, waving his camera in the air. The blond locked up quickly and awaited the commodore's orders. Simply, Aranea walked away, leading the way to the end of the sidewalk. There, the same fancy car was parked. Lunafreya was there, talking with the same guy from before that had also been around. 

Aranea stopped Prompto some feet away from them, motioning for him to wait. She approached them and spoke into the Oracle’s ear. Seeing Luna turn, the man did so too. All eyes were on Prompto as he just stood there, stiff and unknowing. He smiled but felt he must've looked creepy so he stopped. Finally, Aranea motioned for him to come over.

Getting closer, he became nervous. No one had stopped looking at him. But Lunafreya had the softest gaze. Her smile was bright. She looked as if she were glowing in some kind of heavenly radiance. Aranea took to Prompto's side for introductions.

“This is Prompto Argentum. Prompto, this is Lunafreya Nox Fleuret of Tenebrae as well as Ravus Nox Fleuret. Older brother to Lunafreya.”

Before he said a word, Ravus, stepped forward rather aggressively.

“Did you inspect him, commodore?”

“I know him. He isn't harmful.”

“Is that so. And why should I let you near my sister?”

A smooth hand took hold of her brother's arm. Stepping forward, Lunafreya extended her hand out to Prompto, shutting out the other two beside them. Happily, but nervously, Prompto shook her hand. They each smiled, finally able to greet one another.

“It's a pleasure to meet you Prompto Argentum.”

“Pleasures all mine, lady Lunafreya. Please, just call me Prompto.”

“Aranea tells me you wanted to ask a favor of me.”

“Uh… well…”

Prompto's stomach felt as if it were about to betray him and the words he wanted ran away. Aranea was beginning to develop a certain patience with the blond. Ravus, on the other hand, seemed to have none. First he growled, then he exasperatedly sighed. He was expressive in the face and soon it turned vocal.

“Are you here to simply waste her time or do you actually have something to ask her?”

“Peace, Ravus. Please.”

Luna kept her attention with Prompto. For some reason, everytime he felt uncertain, her voice broke through and gave him confidence. She is very nice. There was no denying that.

“Could I get a picture of you? I'm hoping to study photography after high school and, I've never done portraits. And, I'd like to show my friend that I met the Oracle herself.”

“Your friend could not join you?”

“Oh. No. He's more of a penpal. From Lucis! He said you're nice!”

Lunafreya’s smile was brighter, sharing Prompto's excitement. 

“If you'd like, I can deliver a message to your friend.”

“Really? You'd… are you sure? I don't want to trouble you. I mean, I'm not saying yes. I don't want to inconvenience you or anyone for that matter. But I think he'd really like that!”

Ravus rolled his eyes and walked away. He was annoyed but this point, nobody cared. Aranea was used to it by now and puffed out a single chuckle from his departure. She took a few steps toward him but ultimately stayed close to Luna. 

“My brother and I are headed for Lucis in a few days. It be no inconvenience whatsoever.”

Prompto wasn't thinking except that Lunafreya is awesome and that he needs to hug her. And hug her he did. Then he felt her hug him also. When that was done, he immediately noticed the glaring eyes of Ravus. It was like a hissing cat or a growling dog. Either way, Prompto would not be sticking his hand out to reconcile.

“Sorry! I dunno what I was thinking! I'm suuuuper nervous and I'm thinking this is a dream and-”

“It's okay. I understand.”

Prompto sighed in relief. Luna took hold of his arm ready to be led somewhere.

“So where do we take the picture?”

He had almost forgotten about that. Thinking quickly, he remembered a children's park nearby with plenty of blooming flowers and green leaves. 

“I know just the place!”

“Lead the way, Prompto.”

+++++++++

Today was just this amazing, eventful day. Who knew the Oracle was so relaxed. Not that she ever seemed uptight but, Prompto always had the impression of her not having much fun. Maybe she did but wasn't always allowed to show it? Either way, she was a ton of fun. Even Aranea and Ravus were having a good time. 

It was the first time Prompto had really been out with a group of people. School trips don't count, especially when students just choose you as a partner because you're smart. This felt more real. Despite being strangers, they all somehow fit. 

But it lasted only for a moment but a moment Prompto would never forget. Luna would be leaving in a few days and either Ravus or Aranea would come by for his letter. So Prompto got started while prepping his printer to print out the few pictures he took. There was a selfie he took with Aranea. He face palmed seeing the light blush on his cheeks. 

“Maybe I should send this to Noctis…”

Prompto glanced at his finished up letter. If he did, he'd be showing his face. There was the group pictures, one with him in it and another without him. He could send the latter and maybe even ask all three of them to sign it. 

A few pictures are not even compared to what Noctis sent him. The blond looked at the enamel pins and the chocobo keychain. Immediately, he reached for the chocobo and clipped onto the loops of his pants. Next time he goes out, it won't be without…

“Boco! I'll name you Boco!”

Boco hung just under the pocket still swinging from the excited movement of its owner. Looking back at the pins, Prompto came up with an idea. Slowly but surely, work was getting back to me normal. The hours were a bit choppy but work was work. That meant the blond had extra spending money. Two of the moogle pins we're his and the other two were Noctis. What better way to solidify this long distance relationship than with a friendship bracelet. Or tags. Or, whatever made the most sense. His work place had a few different trinkets relating to friendship.

Even though he wanted to go today, it was already late. Sleep was hitting him. The blond didn't change into his pajamas or bother cleaning up any mess he had. He simply put his head down on his pillow and fell fast asleep.

+++++++++

A hard knock on the door caused Prompto to fall off his bed. These knocks on his door lately had been catching him off guard. In this case, woke him up. Thankfully, he was dressed. Couldn't say the same for his hair or his tired eyes but, he was presentable to some extent. 

After fighting with the wall, and almost losing, Prompto made it to his door. There was another heavy knock that startled him. He grabbed the knob, trying to turn it, unlocked it after realizing it's still locked, and finally opened the door. Being drowsy, he didn't realize he was about to get hit by knuckles meant to hit his door.

“You idiot. I almost hit you.”

The familiar male voice sort of snapped Prompto to a more aware state. Rubbing his eyes, he saw Ravus in front of him. He didn't seem as relaxed as the afternoon before. 

“Why?”

Ravus, dumbfounded, crossed his arms and took in a deep breath. This kid had a way of trying his composure. 

“Where is your letter?”

“My letter?”

“For the love of- The letter you wish my sister to deliver for you. Since you're too lazy to-”

“Oh! Oh! No! Wait! I need to go pick up his gift!”

“His gift? Is he your boyfriend or something? Where is this gift? Spit it out! I don't have all day… and, he's gone. Perfect.”

Prompto left the white haired prince at the door, arms dropping to his sides. The blond ran off quickly to grab his essentials. Boco was still on clipped to the loop of his pants, his camera remained on his desk as well as his wallet. Quickly, he ran into his bathroom, shutting it so he couldn't be seen. 

He looked in the mirror, sleepy but mostly flushed in red. When Ravus said boyfriend, Prompto felt his stomach drop and didn't understand why. He doesn't know Noctis in any other way than just a penpal. He's buying something for their growing friendship. 

“Pull yourself together, Prompto.”

Noctis asked if they should meet and it wasn't something Prompto ruled out. He'd love to meet this guy. He seems to have things in common with him and they could definitely waste a day away playing pinball. The blond splashed water on his face and combed his hair in a rushed manner. All in hopes of avoiding Ravus rushing him.

Another knock. Directly on his bathroom door.

“Is your place always this… sloppy.”

The blond burst through the door, meeting Ravus face to face. It was amusing to the prince. Daring too but not something he took seriously given the blond's nature so far.

“It's not sloppy. It's clean it a few things out of place. Why are you in my home?”

“You left the door wide open and you're taking forever. I don't have eternity. Do you need someone to pick up your item?”

“Are you going to go get it?”

“You're joking, right? No. That's what Aranea and the other soldiers are for.”

“Hey! Aranea is not a-”

“Yes or no?”

Prompto and Ravus stared at one another. Silence reigned for a second before Prompto slithered away from the taller man blocking him in. 

“Nope. I need to get this myself. You coming?”

“Absolutely not.”

++++++

Ravus tapped his foot, mentally cursing himself. The blond talked him into tagging along to a slovenly put together department store. Turned out it was affected by rain and only had half the store open to repair the other side. No the prince did not feel bad for his disgusted comment.

Prompto blazed through to the section he had helped organize a few nights ago. There, he found the friendship items he had seen. Bracelets, necklaces, keychains, and mugs too. Plenty to choose from.

“Haha! Handcuff charms!”

“Nothing screams kinky more than handcuffs…”

Prompto put the handcuff charms down and walked away. Maybe he shouldn't have brought mister sarcasm with him. Still, he went onward. It was a whole round display of knick knacks.

“Okaaay. Moving on.”

“Do hurry.”

++++++

“Two hours later…”

“More like forty minutes.”

While outside the store, Prompto secured his gift in a jewelry box and placed it in a bubble envelope along with his letter he had stashed in his back pocket. Finally, everything was-

“Shit! I need to go back home and get the pictures!”

“Seriously?”

“Yes! C'mon!”

Prompto took off, running at a speed Ravus found impressive. Easily, the prince caught up to the blond and kept up. It didn't take long to get back to his place. The way back tend to be quicker than leaving. With this kid, everything only took a second.

“Wait there! Be right back!”

Prompto looked through his pictures. He decided to pull the one of Lunafreya by herself. He had printed two sizes, the larger one being for Luna and the 5x8 for Noctis. It may not be signed but he was definitely proud of how it came out. The afternoon light worked with him, as did the plants around them. He wrote a quick note on the back and carefully put it in the envelope. 

After addressing it and stamping it, he met with Ravus outside. The prince was leaning against his door. This was the most patient he looked from the short time Prompto knew him. 

“Here! All ready to go!”

The blond handed the package to Ravus who grabbed it gently. He removed himself from the house and stood before Prompto. 

“I'll be taking my leave then. Unless there's something else you need done?”

“Nope. All set.”

“Okay.”

As Prompto turned, he felt Ravus’s hand grab his shoulder and turn him. 

“You're something else. My sister seems to be pleased with your… friendliness. I as well.”

“It was an honor to get to hang out with you guys! I'm thankful you guys even spared time for some like me.”

Ravus didn't say anything belittling or sarcastic. He was quiet. Prompto peered at his hand still on his shoulder and tried not to complain about his grip.

“Am I hurting you?”

“Uh, no! Not at all!”

Ravus let him go and began to walk away, blindly waving at the blond without looking back.

“Bye Ravus!”

“Mmhmm.”

One of those fancy cars parked around the corner and stopped. Prompto watched as Ravus entered it, looking too tall for the back seat. 

Once the car disappeared, Prompto went back in. The first thing he did was look to see if Boco was still on him. Yup. Looking at it took him back to that awkward feeling in his stomach. He sat down and reread the letter from Noctis. He hoped the things he sent him would help him destress just a little. 

In his peripheral, Prompto took notice of the notebook Noctis sent over. Though he intended to read through the whole thing, he skimmed through it, reading a few tips and side notes. This book was heavily detailed and informative. The drawings were adorable, especially the page on chocobos and terrains.

Flipping through the last pages, the blond was met with the scratch off ticket Noctis had to send back. He did say he won something.

“Uh…. Did he… he won…”

Two hundred gil was the prize. He hit the jackpot. Prompto almost ripped off a corner trying to remove it off the tape. Flipping it around to make sure it was real, he saw a stick note from Noctis.

“Prompto,

Hope this helps with any repairs you need and also there's one more thing taped behind this note. Be safe.

Noctis”

Prompto, once again, carefully removed a folded rectangular piece of paper. Unfolding it, his eyes widened.

“A… one thousand… gil…check..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it's about time I start editing my tags and such for this series! I'm so excited! And happy to say I have some extra free time so hopefully I can catch my errors a lot more before I post! Thank you to everyone who has followed this series so far! Your kudos, comments, bookmarks, it's all appreciated and encouraging! I hope y'all continue to enjoy!!! :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember, --- are for Noctis and *** are for Prompto. This picks up immediately after Ch. 8 with Noctis then jumps 2 weeks picking up immediately into ch. 9 with Prompto. I hope this doesn't get confusing!

\---------  
Ignis waited on his prince's reaction. Noctis went quiet, looking out the window to the night that grew darker. The stars seemed to hide away into the clouds. If Ignis said anything else, he didn't hear it. 

“Why didn't he say anything?”

“Noct?”

“Why didn't he say anything? Why?”

“He has tried, Noctis. Every time he talked to you, he wanted to tell you. I thought with, you wanting to see him yourself that he'd finally get the chance.”

Noctis fell silent once more. He was trying to understand something. But what? What was he even thinking? Why couldn't he get anything straight? The prince took steps toward his window, fully examining the night. Every street light with view twinkled like holiday lights. 

“Noctis.”

“How long has he been sick? Is that why he sent me away into the city?”

Ignis joined Noctis at the window, looking out with him. He could see the young man's expression in the faint reflection. Sadness and tears we're being suppressed. 

“He sent you out to learn of your people. To learn what it was like to live outside of the citadel. He wanted you to live on a budget, get a job, go to school… all his majesty truly wanted was for you to grow freely. Getting sick… that was never part of the plan. He…”

When Ignis didn't finish, Noctis just had to give him his attention. He would hope his stare was deep enough to make him talk. There was something about the advisor's long pauses that always scared Noctis. Right now, he was dreading every second he didn't speak.

“His majesty had a heart atta-”

“Don't!”

“He had a heart attack and it weakened him. There's no easy way to say that.”

Noctis slammed his fist against the wall, his anger already getting the better of him. These weren't things people just hid or swept under the rug. He took frustrated steps toward his door then to his desk, picking up Prompto's letters, his letter and a few other things. Everything was stuffed into his leather school bag. 

Ignis watched Noctis, keeping his distance. He's only done this once, when he was little. The prince gathered a few things into a bag and ran off to Gladio. If it's anything like that, he was heading to him again. As much as he wanted to stop him, Ignis just watched. 

“Running is not going to make everything go away.”

“It will right now.”

“Noct-”

“Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you at least leave subtle clues or something?”

“Would you have believed me? Or sat still long enough to listen?”

Noctis only shrugged his shoulders before angrily exiting his room and leaving Ignis.

He had made it past crownsguard and glaives, walking down halls and corridors that were seemingly empty at this time. When he reached one of his secret exits, he turned around and gave the walls one last look. 

Even though he found his secret hideouts and exits as a child, Noctis could still squeeze through the tight spaces. If anything, he learned a few things of flexibility from the occasional stray cat that was around in the gardens. 

Outside, at last, Noctis crouched about in the bushes, watching the glaives patrolling the area. Ever since his father found out about one of his secret places, there had been handfuls of glaives keeping watch and walking around. There wasn't a space uncovered by them. They were good but definitely didn't have the mind a teen trying to escape.

Noctis pulled out an extra granola bar he had in his backpack and began eating. This would definitely take some time as no patrol lasts thirty minutes. The glaives were always on point.

+++

The two man patrol went on for a couple of hours before Noctis was clear. He made a run for it, dodging past powerful LED lights and keen eyes. Once he was completely away from the sidewalks and roads of the citadel, the prince slowed down into a calm walk. He ruffled his hair to shake out any small twigs or leaves from the bushes, dusted himself off, and caught his breath. 

The Amicitia house wasn't too far off. Gladio and Iris would home, but not their father. With all the talks with the empire, late nights that leaked into the next day were frequent. So lucky for Noctis, he could just arrive and not worry about being taken back to his dad.

Still, he texted Gladio to let him know of his late night visit. Instantly, the big guy responded with an “OK” and a light from the inside became visible to Noctis. 

“Let me guess.”

“No.”

“Okay. Then I'll just say what I know.”

“I don't want to talk about it.”

“Ignis texted me before you.”

Noctis rolled his eyes as he reached the front door. He stopped waiting for Gladio to let him in. 

“My guess is, he told you everything.”

Gladio was silent. It wasn't the time to spit sarcasm to his young prince no matter how condescending he may have sounded. If he knew it would make him feel better, he'd do it. But the situation was still to fresh in his prince's mind. He could see it in the slump of his shoulders, the tired, stressed out look in his eyes, how pale his skin was.

A simple nod and Noctis walked in quietly, knowing Iris was probably asleep.

“Iris asleep?”

“Yeah. She has a field trip tomorrow so no late night for her.”

“Got any leftovers in the fridge.”

“That's a weird question.”

Looking at Gladio and his semi confused expression, that was a no and that was, indeed, a question he should've known the answer to.

“Yeah. Sorry.”

“You hungry?”

“Nah. But…”

“What?”

Noctis took himself to the couch. He sat, loving the soft, comfort beneath him. Gladio followed, taking to one of the cushioned chairs set across from the couch. 

“Could you help me out with something?”

“Depends. What's the something?”

“A check.”

Gladio was on the edge of his seat, curious. He cocked his head just slightly, to the side.

“A check as in money?”

“Yeah. I want to…. Donate. To a good cause.”

“To your imperial penpal, right?”

The big guy smiled, understanding what Noctis was asking of him now. But boy was this going to cost him.

“Yup… you know I can't exactly write out a check without him discovering I'm a prince. Anyone could find out. And, I don't have any checks. But I do have money from my last job.”

“Hmm… I dunno, Noct. Even if I write it, you might still attract suspicion.”

“Put a fake name or something.”

Gladio sighed heavily. There was no way he was going to be able to talk Noctis out of this. He hated how hard it was to say no to the prince. Especially in his vulnerable state. The last thing he wanted was for him to storm out and run away completely.

As he pondered, Noctis took the liberty of diving into his bag, a reusable tote with skulls all over it, and pulled out the letter and everything else he was sending. Then out came a white envelope loaded with the funds he was going to give to Gladio to send off. That, for sure, caught the attention of shocked amber eyes.

“How much is that?”

“A thousand.”

Gladio nearly choked on air, standing up in an instant. Though he would love to yell at him, they both remembered about the sleeping Iris upstairs. The big guy, instead, paced about in the living room and stopped directly in front of Noctis who had also stood up with everything in his hands.

The prince pushed the envelope into his Shield’s hands and sat back down.

“You know more about these letters than anyone. I... trust you with this.”

“Noct. This is a lot. Who sends this much money to someone they hardly know?”

“I do, I guess.”

“Does he even need help? What on Eos has possessed you to send THIS MUCH.”

Even though he was speaking in hushed tones, Gladio managed to emphasize when he needed to. He was concerned. Maybe this was part of a rebellious act or a spontaneous move to help him feel better after what he's discovered today. 

“I just want to be able to help Prompto……”

The prince kept his head down, a tear finally appearing after so much of the night was passing by without even a sob. There was a moment of silence and pause. Nobody muttered or whispered. Noctis huffed in frustration.

“Why couldn't someone tell me? Why couldn't my own father tell me?”

Gladio joined Noctis on the couch. He took a deep breath, hearing the faintest sobs coming from Noctis.

“Your father didn't tell you right away because he didn't want you to worry.”

“Serious-”

“He and Ignis talked about it and came to the decision that, if there was no getting better then he would tell you. Your father just wanted you to go through school without worry. He wanted you to enjoy yourself without the image of your father sick in the back of your mind. It's not easy for anyone Noct. My dad is taking it well, Ignis is worried about you beyond the twenty-four, seven mark. We've had this in our minds for a good while already. And I get it… I get why his majesty chose to wait…”

Noctis glanced at Gladio who also had a faint sign of a tear that had sneaked down his cheek. It only made the prince cry more, not that he wanted to. It was hard to hold in at this point, especially knowing that sooner or later, this would be it. Hearing it from Ignis and now Gladio made it more real.

He masked his face with his hands unable to stop his breakdown. Gladio put an arm around the younger man's shoulders and pulled him in for a tight hug. It was all he could do but he wished he could do more. He looked at the envelope in his hand. Guess there was one thing he could do.

“I'm sorry Noct…”

Noctis nodded and that was good enough for Gladio. Big arms released the prince who began wiping his own tears away. A few sniffles and a couple of hiccups eventually turned into calmer breathing. A few tears escaped once in a while.

Gladio shook the envelope and looked at Noctis with a small smile.

“Let's get your shit sent off to your friend. Okay?”

“Okay…”

+++2 weeks later+++

***************************

Prompto sat in shock. One thousand gil. For him? Just for himself? He looked back at the check but saw that it was addressed to him. To Prompto Argentum… one thousand gil… 

The blonde unclipped Boco from his pants and held up his chocobo in his palm.

“What do I do Boco? Do you think it's toooooo much?”

Prompto shook his head dramatically. 

“Of course it's too much. My place is fine… other places aren't though… man, Boco… what do I do?”

Jumping out of his seat, Prompto took the check to his old tin box. He hadn't touched it since he first sent stickers to Noctis. It seemed like forever ago yet, a whole year hadn't gone by. The box had built up new dust, no new rust, and the stickers were definitely faded. Still, they remained and Prompto took it up in his hand. 

Old memories always came flooding in when he opened his box. Particularly, he would recall his parents always bringing home neat souvenirs from work. Official imperial issued pens, old remotes that his dad would use to teach him how to reconfigure. His mother usually came home with black sterile gloves and eye droppers that he could use for his kid-safe paint. 

They would sometimes take him to work and show him around on their downtime. Prompto loved the tours. At the end of them, he'd go back with his father while his mother went back to her work. Magitek weapons… That's what they helped build. The rare, magitek appliance was created too.

“Keeping Magitek in your homes and on the field…. More like, taking your loved ones away from your home and the field.”

Prompto sighed at the sight of his ID. Those thoughts of how bad Niflheim sucked replayed over and over in his mind. How can the emperor be so blind and deaf to things that happened. To the people that gave everything to meet his expectations.

The blond caught a few tears and cleared his throat. He took the check and looked at it one more time. The signature was sloppy as hell, he couldn't make out the name. The N was incredibly loopy. Maybe he could be a doctor since he had a crazy signature.

After further observation, he finally put the check away into the tin box. For now, it stayed there until he asked why in his next letter. Not to say it wasn't thoughtful, it was, but it was too much and he definitely didn't need that much gil.

With an old squeak, the box was closed and put back into its spot on a bookshelf. 

+++3 weeks later+++

No knocking in the mornings was perfect for uninterrupted sleep. Sort of. Prompto found himself wishing for all of the excitement to come back and whisk him into a fun frenzied day. Getting to hang out with Aranea was so cool. And for Luna to be so down to take a picture and personally mail his letter made a strong impression on the blond. As for her brother, Ravus… he wasn't too bad. 

The last few days of testing had been stressing for Prompto. Everything was on his mind. The Fleurets with his letter, Aranea, and mostly, Noctis. He kept wondering why he would send so much money, if he was okay, if he would like the things he sent him. Nothing he gives compares to what Noctis sends.

“Maybe he's a billionaire…”

The blond trekked home from school. This was his last month in school and all the tests and projects would be over. All his attention could go to Noctis. And college of course. Getting money to-

“I could use the thousand to travel!”

Talking a bit too loud to himself, people walking by would double take to eye the blond. Prompto nervously laughed and continued to his house. He had work in the early morning to help restock merchandise and revamp the rest of the store so he had no worries about being late. Over time was always welcomed though.

Right now, it was a trip to the post office and then home. He was halfway into his walk when his phone went off. His assumption was work so he made a turn to go back into town. Not bothering to look at the screen, he answered with a dragged out 'hellooooo’. Instead of the usual reply from his manager, he got a female's voice.

“Prompto. Where are you going?”

“Aranea? Is that you?”

“Yes. Now turn back around.”

“Okay? I'm turning back...… oh!”

Prompto turned, confused till he looked forward down the sidewalk and saw Aranea. He waved his hand and advanced toward her in a quickened pace. The blond was all smiles till he noticed something her hand with a familiar address on it. Noctis. Does that mean he got the package? 

“So. A pen pal, huh? You weren't kidding. Here.”

She tossed the small package at Prompto once he was a few feet from her. It was caught easily and a sigh of relief escaped Prompto after a successful catch. Inspecting and squishing the pack, there was a noticeable softness. Interesting.

“He's from Insomnia. Seems like a really cool dude.”

“I bet.”

Aranea smirked, the blond in front her not catching on. She watched as he held onto his mail for dear life. A genuine smile spread across his face as he turned his attention back to Aranea. 

“Talk about special delivery. Thanks, Aranea. But… may I ask how you got my number?”

“I work in the Imperial army, kid.”

“Right. Makes sense.”

There was an awkward silence that popped out of nowhere. Being around Aranea was still intimidating no matter how relaxed they were. But if the blond was being honest, all he wanted, now, was to go home and open his package. 

“I wanted to talk to you.”

“Me? Really?”

Aranea began walking in the direction of his house, ignoring the blond’s surprised face. Prompto followed. She was only walking but had managed to get a good distance away from where they were standing.

They were quiet for the mini excursion. Aranea wasn't suited up in her usual dragoon attire. Instead, she was in a t-shirt fixed with the imperial logo and jeans. Her hair was up in its usual ponytail, makeup light, and boots polished. With a quick glance, Prompto made deep thoughts of admiration. 'She's so cool!’ was a recurring line in his mind.

Having made way to house pretty quickly, Prompto stopped in front of his door. The last time he invited her in, she waited outside. He wasn't sure if she'd want to go in. What if she got the wrong idea?

“Did you want to talk inside orrrr…”

“Would you rather the whole block hear us?”

“Well, most of the people that live here are usually at work at this time but I see your point!”

Prompto unlocked his door and let her in first. 

“What a gentleman.”

Prompto blushed and laughed like a dork. He quickly locked up and zoomed past Aranea, trying to clean up anything he left out this morning. When he's running late, his place turned into a crime scene with misplaced items and evidence of treats he shouldn't be eating so early but did anyways.

Aranea watched in amusement. This kid was funny. Somehow, he was always so cheerful despite everything she knew he had been through as a child. When she came in, certain matters became her responsibility. With Niflheim, primarily its citizens, she was supposed to keep cover ups from being uncovered. It was things like that, that made her want to leave and return to mercenary work. 

Minutes of crashing and sorting later and the blond was ready. He welcomed Aranea to his couch for her to sit while he pulled his desk chair to sit across from her. He adjusted himself, making sure Boco and a small net charm weren't squished under his leg.

“Nice chocobo.”

“Thanks! He was a gift from my penpal.”

The commodore simply nodded. 

“So what's up?”

The blond was all smiles but his nail biting was a sure sign of his nervousness. 

“I wanted to ask how you're holding up here… Since your parents past away.”

The smile was gone. Prompto's shoulders dropped from excited anticipation. This was a conversation he wasn't expecting.

+++2 weeks earlier+++

\-----------------------

Noctis walked all over the main floor of the citadel, waiting, trying to kill time. Ignis was sitting on one of the chairs, looking over notes while keeping an eye on Noctis. It's been some time since he's had visitors, let alone Lunafreya. Even though they have been friends for so long, the two have only seen each other for a grand total of four times. 

A crownsguard or regular office worker would walk by but not who the prince was waiting for. If it were anyone else, he'd be asleep on a chair from waiting. The advisor put the first of papers down to start on the next. Seeing Noctis so antsy was refreshing from the last couple of weeks. He was lost in thoughts, avoiding social functions more than usual, and more time in bed. He didn't sleep well.

Once Ignis told him of Luna's visit, he showed some spark. 

“Are you sure it's today? Maybe she meant next week.”

“It's today Noct. She's most likely by the checkpoint by now.”

“Can you call and see where-”

Before he finished, Ignis pulled out his phone. Always prepared. Noctis sat on the chair beside him, listening to every word. Once he hung up, a rare smile stretched on the young prince's face. He stood up and walked out. 

Their reunions were always relieving. So much to catch up on. Having someone else to talk to usually helped Noctis destress. Lately, with the news he had received and the newest discussions he had been having with the council and his retainers.

Noctis opened the main door but took a step back. There was a Tenebraen royal but not the one he wanted to see. 

“Prince Noctis.”

As if he wasn't startled by almost getting hit by a door, Ravus looked down at the prince, an almost stoic yet annoyed look on his face. Noctis shared the same expression, wishing he hadn't just run into Ravus.

“Ravus. Why… what are you doing here?”

“Visiting. I would figure you already knew seeing as to how courteous we were to inform the king of our visit.”

“Where's Luna?”

Ravus turned around to check then looked back at the prince. 

“She'll be here shortly. Now. This is a rather large… structure for you to be blocking. This isn't a house, prince Noctis. Are you going to let me in or should I just melt in this sun?”

“Why are you an ass?”

“Excuse me?”

Ignis walked up on time, grasping the shoulders of Noctis firmly. Feeling the tension begin to build and his prince's sound choice of words, the advisor removed the prince from the entrance. He, himself, felt irked by the condescending tone of Ravus but, patience and understanding must be executed before irrational behavior.

These two were at their worst when in each other's presence. Had the king been present in this room, they'd both be very silent. Ravus took a seat, awaiting his sister's entrance. It took some time for that to happen. Both princes were certain she was messing with them in her own subtle way. 

Ignis had engaged Ravus reviewing their accommodations and schedules. Noctis took this as his cue to sneak out and meet Luna outside. She was speaking with a few of her attendants, gathering a few items into their arms and making sure she looked her best. A side glance revealed Noctis approaching. The other ladies bowed and took their steps back o give space to the two royals. 

“Noctis. It's so good to see you again.”

“You too, Luna. You need help with all that stuff? I can get some of the guys to take that stuff out of your hands.”

“Actually…”

Luna handed Noctis a envelope, yellow and a tad bulky. He took it, examining what seemed to be the back. Once he turned it around, his eyes widened. He looked between the envelope and Luna, very, very confused. This was from Prompto. From Niflheim. 

“Luna. How did- do you know this guy? How did you know about this?”

“I had no idea. Ravus and I were in Niflheim after they declared it a natural disaster. We ran into Prompto by chance.”

“So you met him? You met Prompto?”

“Yes. He was very kind.”

Noctis ran his hand through his hair. He wasn't sure if he was dreaming. This was surprising. How small was Eos? The prince held his arm out, Luna hooking hers with his. Once out of nearby sight, they laughed and giggled. This whole thing was unbelievable.

Then they reached the top step and Noctis pouted at the sight of Ravus. 

“We should settle in before all else, Lunafreya.”

“Of course.”

Her soft smile was always a relaxant to those around her, even in the midst of tension between Ravus and Noctis. She let go of Noctis, addressing him before leaving with Ravus. 

“We'll talk more later. There's so much to discuss.”

“Yeah. That be great. Can't wait.”

With that, and a side eyed glare from Ravus they were escorted to their rooms. Noctis gave it a moment, listening to the footsteps become more distant. When nothing was heard, he gave the envelope another look before tearing it open.

“Is that a gift from Lady Lunafreya?”

“You could say that.”

He pulled out the box most noticeable to him first. It was a gift box used for jewelry, long enough for a bracelet or necklace with a cactuar design all over. Before tending to the other contents. Noctis opened the box, revealing a fish charm and a tiny tag that read BFF. They were attached to a long chain, good for tucking under the shirt to keep out of the way when busy. Everything shined under the lights of the hall, giving away a tiny white jewel in the eye of the fish. 

Seeing the prince juggle his items in his arms and hands, Ignis took everything from him and watched as Noctis clipped on the chain. He looked to Ignis for feedback, some joy in his eyes from the gift his long distance friend sent him.

“It's from Prompto. I like it.”

“It's rather charming. And, lady Lunafreya was the one to deliver this to you?”

“Yeah. Apparently she met Prompto while she was in Niflheim.”

Ignis seemed surprised as well. But thoughts of compromise began swirling about. Hopefully, this wouldn't become a problem.

“That's surprising indeed.”

Noctis read aloud, 'BFF’, letting that sink in for a moment. Best friends forever. He found himself hoping that to be true. It be really great to meet him one day. How would he even approach him? Noctis shook his head and took the envelope back from Ignis. He placed the, now, empty box back in and pulled out what seemed to be another picture. 

“Luna…”

Noctis quickly showed it to Ignis who was also amazed at the quality as much as Noctis was. She looked elegant yet easy going. There was beauty but a touch of childish fun to the portrait. 

“Seriously. He must be a pro.”

“He has a real talent with a camera. What a lovely portrait of Lady Lunafreya.”

Noctis turned it round and read a short note left by Prompto.

“I forgot to ask her to sign it! But I totally met Lunafreya! I didn't write about it in the letter but I figured you'd guess who took this. (Me!) Hope you like it! -Prompto”

Carefully, Noctis put it back in the envelope and took out the letter he was dying to read already. He sat down, getting comfortable for the read. The paper was a but wrinkled but not so bad as to make it hard to distinguish the writing.

“Dear Noctis,

First of all, sea salt vinegar chips taste amazing and you cannot tell me otherwise. Second, I FUCKING LOVE CHOCOBOS!!! Weird as it is, I named him Boco! Don't judge me! He's the cutest chocobo chick keychain EVER! Say thank you to the little sister for me. (Share your stickers with her! There's an extra sheet coming her way once I find a good one.) The moogle pins are cool too. Love em. They're on my backpack. Dude! That notebook from your outdoorsman friend is SUPER informational. It'll definitely come in handy. Does he like cactuars? I saw a cool tumbler with a cactuar engraved on it. I'd like to send it as thanks. You actually won something on the scratch off? That's awesome! I never do. Boo. But yay for you! I haven't checked it yet but I'll split it with you for sure.

So, don't worry about venting. I don't mind if you ever need to do that. It's kind of cool you feel comfortable enough to do so. Honestly, I don't want to interfere but, if you don't mind me saying,I think it's stupid too. And I think it's infuriating and annoying sometimes. My parents were like that also but, over time, I began to understand why they were so overprotective. Parents want what's best for their kids and sometimes it ones off a little too strong or too distant. I think, maybe your dad is worried and trying to come to terms with one day letting you go. Traveling far away would definitely worry any parent if you ask me… I hope this helps. Like I said, I don't mean to be nosy. But if it's any consolation, I am up for being your pinball and skeeball rival! Hope you're prepared to go up against my awesome, talented skills! Bleh! Anyways! There was totally Lucian aid over here. I didn't get to see much cause I was in class but, I got buckets with yummy snacks and cleaning products. The snacks are all gone and I gave the cleanup bucket to someone else that needed it more than me. If you were here, I'd show you all the decent spots to hang out. I would be down with meeting you one day. That be cool. And I'm absolutely, 100%, certain I'm not a pro photographer. Have you ever seen pro pics? They're amazing. But thanks for the compliment. It makes me more sure of wanting to go to a college that offers photography. As far as high school goes though, I'm just about done too I've taken some tests and passed! So thanks for the well wishes and good luck! I wish you the same also! Just glad it all almost over. Can't wait to just relax for a few months.

I'm seriously still gushing over my chocobo! It's the best! You're making it hard to one up you. Lucis has all the good stuff! So I'm sending you a friendship charm of sorts (never know what you're gonna get!) because I felt like you having your two moogle pins and having the other two was a sign. Do you feel like this is a friendship? Calling you my friend feels right to me. And I'm also thankful that you write me. Thanks for taking time out of your day to write this loser. Maybe read it as, 'I am being thanked for writing to that one loser in niflheim.’ Don't want you to think I'm calling you a loser. Totally not.

Your friend,  
Prompto”

Noctis hadn't set his letter down. He had forgotten he vented out on a paper about his argument with his father which happened before he found out he was dying. A few tears had popped out as he read through Prompto's words. It was like Gladio and Ignis had been telling him too. And without realizing, his father was telling him as well but through his actions. Somewhere along the way, he got sick. Noctis, as well, was trying to come to terms with letting go.

If it was difficult for him, it must've been worse or his father. The stress he caused him was most likely not helping him. The prince smiled though. He needed this letter. He needed Prompto. He understood from, what appeared to be, his own perspective. 

He tried not to sniffle, but had he not done so he would've had a mess around his nose. That gave away his crying and brought upon a concerned Ignis.

“Noct. Are you okay? What's wrong?”

“Nothing. I just…”

“There now. It's alright. “

Ignis gave his young prince a hug, another thing Noctis needed. He rested his head on It was one of those days sent by the gods to help put things into perspective.

on a comforting shoulder.

“Ignis?”

“Yes, Noct.”

Ignis pulled away, squatting before Noctis, green eyes to blue.

“… I want to talk to my dad again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! 3 weeks later, Prompto gets the next letter and two week earlier is what happens before that letter gets sent! I was trying something new but if it's too much, I won't do it again! I had planned on doing this eventually! But the next chapters will be back to normal starting with Noctis!  
> Thanks for putting up with this experimental phase of mine and hope you enjoy! :D


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I would've had this up sooner but i lost everything I was writing when my tablet died! :( It's alive now and I finished my chapter! Yay! Enjoy!

And tomorrow was here. Calm, blue skies invited a productive day that started right after breakfast. Ignis made the fluffiest eggs imaginable with perfectly crisp toast, sweet, fresh fruit, and a ton of garula bacon. Nothing was left on the plate and the advisor couldn't be more happy.

Noctis moved through the halls swiftly. He didn't seem upset or down. There was a certain pep in his step. Not a minute was wasted as he made his way to the gardens. Luna was waiting for him already, tea prepared for them. Noctis wasn't going to drink it but if Luna liked it then it wouldn't go to waste.

“Hey.”

“Good morning Noctis.”

They were both smiles and big hugs. It had been forever and it was comforting to have Luna here at this time. Not to mention her, apparent, run in with his penpal. This information was part of the prince’s motivation to start his day earlier than usual (despite wanting to give up and go back to bed). 

“How've you been, Luna? Life keeping you busy?”

“I've been well, thank you-”

The two sat down, the difference in her graceful seating and his, go down quick before someone pulled out the chair, stood out. She would move with delicacy as Noctis did his best to stay up straight. It was a good effort worth noting with a giggle from Luna as she continued on.

“Life has certainly been interesting. But… how are you, Noctis? Are you well?”

“Yeah… or, you know, as well as one can be I guess.”

Luna looked on with concern. As blankly cheery as the prince was, there was a definite sadness in his eyes. Her airy, sensitive hand touched the cool skin of Noctis's arm, reassurance in the hold she had on him. 

The prince sighed as he stared into the cup of rose petals tea in front of him. Acknowledging the princess's concern, he propped his free hand on hers, patting her hand a couple times. He made a face at the pink colored liquid sitting in his cup.

“How can you drink this stuff?”

“Well, if you must know-”

Removing her hand, Lunafreya took a sip of her tea, smiling contently at the taste.

“It's quite delicious and it has regenerative effects.”

“Is it supposed to be that color?”

“But of course.”

+++++

The two talked for hours, only interrupted by Ravus for just a brief moment. Another instance of such being when Gladio and Ignis came by to check on them. Other than that, it was two best friends revisiting old memories and telling of current news in their lives. It was peaceful, like nothing horrible ever happened?

For Noctis, though he was enjoying the memories, he was dying to learn of her time with Prompto. What he was like and what she thought of him. He was so eager, he finally managed to squeeze in his new penpal into the conversation. Perfect timing as Luna was talking of the relief efforts in Niflheim and how amazed she was to hear of Noctis wanting to send aid over.

She knew what she was doing. Luna could see him actually get antsy the more she talked about Niflheim. The prince would nod his head as if to get to the next part. But she is her brother's sister and a bit of her mischievousness led her to stray off the conversation, just to work up her friend. Alas, she couldn't bring herself to continue this torture so she asked,

“So how did you come to pen paling?”

“Funny you should ask.”

Huge smile on his face. Noctis was sure his heart skipped a beat out of finally getting this out in the open.

“Ignis actually signed me up without me knowing. I was opposed to it at first but… I've come to really enjoy writing him and reading his letter.”

There was so much to say but Noctis froze in his mind. 

“Does he know that you're a prince?”

“Ignis has that fact covered up. I don't think I should tell him though.”

“Why not?”

“Well… what if he ends up hating me or something? People treat royalty differently.”

“Noctis…”

Weirdly enough, Noctis took a sip of the tea with forsaking the taste. He began to think of how wrong this relationship could go if he told Prompto he was the prince of Lucis. 

“Besides. It makes this whole thing seem more normal. I feel like I can really express myself.”

The conversation died down, food was brought over, and the two ate silently. Once in a while the sound of, “mmm” or “yum” traveled through the garden but,nothing more. As the area was cleaned and cleared, Noctis and Luna removed themselves and began walking the grounds of the citadel. The background noises of city life was captured through their ears as they walked about in an easy going manner.

“So what was he like? Did he talk much?”

“If I'm being honest…”

Noctis glanced over at the princess who had glanced his way as well.  
“He was pretty talkative and very energetic.”

“I can definitely picture that. He seems, I dunno, cool, in his letters.”

“Is that so? He also thinks that way of you.”

“Really!? I mean… cool.”

Luna giggled, loving the prince’s reaction. Noctis scratched his head, a bit embarrassed of his sudden outburst.

“Yes. And he's a very talented photographer. His pictures were beautiful.”

“Right? He's sent me a few before. Even a portrait of you.”

“Oh…”

Luna blushed, this time Noctis being the one to laugh at her expense.  
“He wrote he totally got to meet you. Exclamation mark.”

A few stoppages by servants or guards had them halt their discussion, mainly t remind the prince of his meeting with his father. That must've been Ignis's doing. The advisor is the only person he knew that could constantly remind him of anything within an hour. Everyone knew that was for good reason.

“If you forget, that'll be on you.”

Luna playfully jest, receiving a, “sheesh” from Noctis.

“So… what's Prompto look like?”

The princess appeared thrown off for a spell.

“Didn't he send you a picture with him in it? He took a decent amount of selfies.”

The prince blinked profusely as he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

“Prompto is blond. He has freckles, light complected, blue eyes. If I may add, he has very lovely eyes.”

“Smitten much?”

Luna playfully smacked the prince's arm, shaking her head in defiance.

“No. Though he is a rather handsome young man. I could definitely see the two of you together.”

“Together hooow?”

They both eyed each other, clearly understanding how the misinterpretation was possible. 

“Best friends. Certainly.”

“Got it…”

A new thought crossed Noctis's mind. He tried his best not to dwell on it.

“You should meet him. I know the circumstances aren't ideal at this moment… but perhaps, Ravus and I can take you.”

“Why? So your brother can be snarky the entire time?”

“Believe it or not, Prompto made a deep impression on my brother.”

Noctis snorted at the thought of Ravus liking anyone that wasn't himself. 

“Thanks Luna… but it's not a good time… my father…”

Blue eyes widened as Noctis realized he needed to go talk to his father. That's why he received so many reminders. Both, Lunafreya and Noctis, ended their conversation and made their way back to the main court of the citadel. There, Noctis would part with Luna for the time being and approach his father.

+++++++++

As usual, a couple of glaives were around, escorting the prince to the king. They weren't as surprised to see him once more but, the thought of another storm-out was, for sure, crossing their minds. At this point, who wasn't thinking that.

Each time Noctis was here, to speak with his father, he became nervous. This time… This time was worse. His father had to have been aware of his son knowing the news. The prince was going in with no gameplan. He had no idea what he was going to say or how he would even approach his father. Should he apologize? Apologize for what, exactly?

Should he ask how he's doing? Ask if there's anything he can do for him? What should he do? What? That's a good question. Noctis thought, over and over till the thought exploded in his mind. What should he do? What is he supposed to do? 

At the door, leading to his father, Noctis took a look at his surroundings. Though he's been here before, something about the place seemed familiar. 

“Going in, prince Noctis?”

The prince shook his head, ever so slightly. The voice of one of the glaives snapped him out of a trance that would have lasted for hours. Nothing was stopping him now. Not his doubts, his space-outs... No turning back.

Noctis nodded and the two glaives pushed opened the doors for him. Even though the king was sick, he was still here, in the throne room. Nothing could stop this man from his duties and the prince admired this about his father. He respected him- loved him. 

They were left alone, with the exception of the king's shield. He never left his father's side, thankfully. Clarus assisted his father as he was descending down the steps to get to his son. His steps were quick. Arguments or petty disagreements never stopped the excitement Regis felt when he saw his son.

“Noctis.”

“I'm late, I know. I just got caught up in talking.”

“With lady Lunafreya?”

“Yeah…”

For some reason, Noctis lost his train of thought and, still, he was unsure of what he wanted to say. There was some kind of block in his brain keeping him from speaking. A vowel, a few consonants, some inaudible words only he could understand escaped his throat. 

A strong, comforting hand took the young prince's shoulder. Clarus and Regis understandably looked upon Noctis as they noticed a faint quiver of his body. The reality of the situation was made clear yesterday but today… Today, the reality of the situation was more real than he wanted it or thought it to be. 

When Noctis had noticed how his father seemed pale some weeks before, he never thought it was more than exhaustion. He should've asked or given more attention to his health. 

“My son… whatever you wish to say, I will hear you.”

“I just… I…”

Still incapable of statements or suggestions, Noctis struggled to get anything straight. He was looking at his father with big, blue eyes watery and sad. In turn his father felt his own eyes teary. Even the shield was becoming emotional.

“Dad? Would you like to go to my room?”

“Your room?”

King Regis beamed in delight. It had been a long time, since Noctis was a small child, that he'd been to his room. When he had his son brought back, he wasn't allowed in. 

“Yeah. We can catch up and stuff. You can help me write my next letter and… maybe… we could make your famous paper airplanes?”

“Best gliders in the citadel.”

They both chuckled, Clarus reminding them of who it is that retrieves the paper items when they've gone too far out of reach or stuck in a tree.

“What do you say?”

“I would love to join you, my son.”

++++++

Noctis was the one who suggested the scooter for his father. Clarus was the one who called his own son for back up. Ignis watched over, panicking every time the prince or the king almost crashed the scooter. Somewhere along the way, Cor, Luna and, Ravus got caught up in their madness. Well, it looked like fun to Luna so cheered them on. Cor was just as panicked as Ignis and Ravus was surprisingly amused.

If anything, Ravus was warmed by the little fiasco taking place. He would never say it out loud but seeing Noctis and his father getting along was better than watching them be torn apart. This was all going to end but if it ended in a high note, there'd be less regret.

Father and son were both mischievous. Especially when the paper planes went flying.they purposely drove their respected shields up the walls and down the halls.

Over time, the excitement cooled down, everyone went elsewhere, leaving father and son to themselves. Though a silent walk, it was anything but tense. Noctis had kept his father's arm looped into his. Together they walked into Noctis's room. It was unlocked the entire day, much to Ignis's surprise.

The room wasn't any different than usual. The occasional piece of clothing was on the ground, school binders scattered on his desk, shelves with different odds and ends. But what stood out to the king were the pictures framed on his wall. 

“Have you taken to decorating your walls?”

Noctis helped his father sit on his desk chair. He looked toward the wall in question and smiled. 

“Those are from my penpal. He took those pictures himself.”

“Is that so? Very impressive.”

“Right?”

The prince showed his father the recent photo he received from Prompto.

“He took this portrait of Luna too when she was over in Niflheim.”

“Very beautiful.”

As Regis examined the photo, as well as those on the wall, his son was pushing unfolded clothes under his bed and pushing whatever he could against the wall. It looked organized to him.

“I really wish you would clean your room, Noctis.”

“It is clean.”

The fact he said that with a straight face had Regis expressing some form of concern. 

“Hey, dad?”

“Yes, Noctis?”

Noctis sat himself on his desk. His fingers tapped against the fine wood, his eyes to the floor, wandering and searching for the right words again. Much more success this time around. It wasn't so much a question. Rather, what he needed to say.

“I'm sorry.”

Regis scoot forward on the chair, giving his son his attention. 

“I'm sorry for how I… for all the stupid things I did it said-”

“Let me stop you there. You needn't apologize, my son. If anyone should apologize, it is I. I thought, if I waited to tell you anything, it would make this process easier for the two of us.”

“But dad, I-”

“I should've told you when it all happened. Instead, I pushed you away and for that, I was punished.”

“Don't say that! I was an idiot! I was selfish and I couldn't even see what you were trying to do for me! This isn't your fault no matter how you look at it! You're not allowed to blame yourself! Ever!”

They were both emotional wrecks at this point but it did them good to get all of the tension off their chest. Noctis practically flew off the desk, hugging his dad tightly. Regis returned the gesture, with not as much strength, but it was comforting nonetheless.

“I am sorry it took such an occasion to get us here, though.”

“Me too, dad.”

For once, Noctis didn't storm out in anger. He didn't leave his father behind and he wouldn't from now on.

Though there were guests to tend to, Regis and Noctis stayed in that room till night fell. Plenty of cleaning happened. When Ignis had arrived to check on the two, he gladly assisted the king in stuffing dirty laundry into the hamper. 

They kept themselves busy, truly catching up with one and other this time. Nothing went unsaid, not even his letters with his penpal. That was something Noctis eagerly explained. How they're long distance gaming rivals, Prompto liking spicy food, how he's funny, the same dream they share of someday exploring the world. 

Regis expressed much interest. Because of this long distance relationship, his son was getting a small understanding of other countries, how they work, and what their environments were like. This kind of connection would be good for him in the future.

As the king explained such thing to his son, Noctis read, to himself, a little side note left from Prompto. He had read the letter s quick, and reacted, that he didn't notice the extra words.

“P.S: If I were to pretend the first half of your letter was song lyrics, I would guess they'd be elongated words meant to be screamed out like heavy metal screaming. OR, something sappy with a twangy guitar! Maybe… twangy screamo? Wink-wink!”

Noctis smiled, still appearing to be listening to his dad but laughing to himself at Prompto's words. Looking up, he saw his father eyeing him, knowing at some point, his son zoned out on him. 

“I heard you, dad.”

“Then repeat the last thing I said.”

“My son is awesome and should go fishing in the koi pond whenever he wants.”

His father laughed, shoulders shaking in a jolly manner. 

“I forgot I have to write my next letter.”

“Then you should.”

“Do you think it weird if…… well… never mind.”

“Speak your mind, son.”

Noctis scratched his head nervously.

“Would it be weird if I considered Prompto a friend? I mean, he's from Niflheim and I don't know him in person like I do, say, Ignis or Gladio.”

“Does any of that truly matter? His nationality or where he is?”

“No…. No it doesn't. I don't think it does.”

“Then there you go.”

“I'd really like to meet him one day. I think, if we ever do meet, it should be at a Crow's Nest.”

“Knowing you, my son, it'll happen.”

“Oh?”

“You have a way of getting what you want. I know that all too well mister, cries his eyes out till he gets a chocobo shaped loaf of bread.”

“It was good, by the way.”

“Yes. Worth every gil just to see you smile.”

+++

Once Clarus came by to take Regis back to his own chambers, Noctis found himself at his desk writing to his friend while remembering all the stories his father had ever told him as a kid. He wanted to share one with Prompto but didn't want to reveal who he was yet. 

“Anonymously then.” 

Noctis paused. Eventually, Prompto was going to find out. Was now the time, though? 

Getting to the end of his letter, Noctis made his decision. He signed his letter, sealed it up, and left it on the desk for Ignis to send off in the morning. 

He hoped he was making the right decision.


	12. Chapter 12

********

“I mean… it’s been years… Why are you asking?”

Prompto, shoulders kind of slumped, sadly focused on Aranea. He couldn’t understand why she would ask about old events. Reliving the past was something Prompto didn’t like doing. It was painful to look back so he tried looking forward. Yet, here he was being asked about something pertaining to those events so long ago. The commodore couldn’t look any more serious than what she did now. She didn’t look scary but rather, concerned. 

Aranea didn’t answer probably because she didn’t get the answer she wanted. The blond shuffled about in his seat, uncomfortable with this situation. If he knew their walk from the post office to his house was going to lead to this, he would’ve ignored her. 

“What do you want me to say? I’m fine? I am. I’m even better forgetting about all of this.”

“Why?”

“Why!?”

Prompto hung his head with a troubled sigh. 

“Why would anyone want to remember something painful? The point is to get up and move on, right? So I moved on.”

Aranea made a mental note of how he hasn’t moved on. Over time, his case went silent for the sole reason of covering up the truth. Everyone was paid off, including the kid in front of her. He, especially, was given a large sum and the opportunity to stay in his childhood home and benefits to last his entire life. The imperials were cold over the losses. Stoic and heartless. It largely showed their corruption, something Aranea was weary about from the start.

The case with the blond was excruciating. He was the youngest victim in this whole thing. 

“This isn’t right. You know that.”

Prompto looked up, teary eyes taking in his surroundings. Aranea’s voice was distant and mumbled. Straight ahead was the shelf his tin box rested on. The very few things he kept around from that last day were in there. 

++++++

A small, chubby hand, soft and excited, held on tightly to a bigger hand. Softly, a familiar chocobo tune was hummed through smiling lips, red cheeks red in anticipation. There was something about being able to explore the work place of parents that was exhilarating. Especially when they both worked in the same company with two different jobs. 

Well, Prompto knew his father was only here by contract. But, from how his parents talked about this contract, it was pretty darn cool. He built things. Machines that scan and build and take things apart. The current project was in a facility that made weapons. That much Prompto knew. His father usually had the miniature models with him at home. The small blond loved playing with those.

His mother was a scientist of some sort. The young child was never too sure of what she was in charge of but, she was very important. The technology used to make the weapons his dad designed were powered by whatever it was his mom was researching. Some kind of energy force that could cause a lot of damage if mishandled. That was why his mother stayed for long periods of time in her laboratories and offices getting to know this energy force. Every now and again, she’d bring work home but with a surprise sweet. 

Of course, late night snacks and going straight to bed were never a good mix. It showed in the little boy. His weight increased, but that didn’t change a thing with his parents. As if they didn’t have enough reason to pinch his already squishy cheeks. Though some of the other children, who would also be along with their parents at work, could be mean. They’d make fun of Prompto’s weight but quickly retreat after their parents pulled on their ears. Again, Prompto’s mother was very important.

But none of that mattered. Prompto was happy to be with his parents, getting to see everything come together and tested. His mom always made sure his picture ID was in a chocobo themed lanyard, words clear for when it needed to be identified by the guards. They were already at the point of knowing who they were and mostly didn’t bother checking. The guards were getting lazy. Who knew such a great research facility could be infiltrated. 

Nobody knew. That’s why everyone was their usual self. Prompto was definitely lost in his moment. Today was the rare occasion his mom took him inti a lab. He was covered, head to toe, in protective gear. His mother was taking no chances even if that meant making her son look like a giant marshmallow. A cute marshmallow. Her arms wrapped around her son, giving him the tightest bear hug she’s ever given him.

“Are you ready Prompto?”

“I’m ready!”

Bright eyed and silly smile, the young blond grabbed his mother’s hand and walked in with her. Vials and canisters covered table tops. Reports flashing up on a white board were amazing the child. He touched it, accidentally causing more files to open up. Turns out he did one of the scientists a favor so he was praised rather than scolded. But, his mother shot him a look. One he knew too well. 

Gloved hands carefully took samples of liquids and powders, so many different things that the blond had no idea about. The most advanced thing he had done so far was put together a formula one race car model. With a working engine he put together with his dad. As for anything as sciency as this… He understood nothing and his mother didn’t really explain much. 

Prompto was allowed to roam the room, as long as he stayed out of everyone’s way. So he kept to the back, peaking over someone’s shoulder every now and again to see what they were working on. A few of the workers tried explaining but, their talk was too advanced for an eleven year old that just wanted to look at the chocobo screen saver on some random laptop. It was the real deal kind of chocobo, not some cute coloring book art.

As he made his way around a less populated area of the room, the little blond noticed someone frantically pouring different things into a beaker. His staring might have been what caused this frantic man to turn his way with wide, surprised. It was a staring contest easily won by the kid with nothing to hide. In an attempt to keep the kid silent, the man pressed his finger against his dry lips and shushed. Obviously, he was doing something he wasn’t supposed to.

Another staring contest. Prompto had not taken his eyes off this man and knew he needed to tell an adult. The first that came to mind was his mother. He took a step back, making the man twitch. As quick as he could, Prompto turned around to run off to his mother. But to no avail. The older man grabbed his arm, roughly. He pulled the blond back toward him but he was thwarted as well. Prompto quickly ran away, passing through many startled scientist.

“Mom!”

Everyone looked around, all eyes setting on the head of the room. The blond’s mother began to push through many of her colleagues till she was able to grab her son. Out of breathe, the boy tried to explain what he had seen. There was a man, carelessly mixing things that tried to stop him from telling anyone and was really mean. Prompto, even at the request of his mother, tried to slow down so he could make more sense. He was telling her but his words sounded muffled.

Then it was too late. Alarms went off. A warning of contamination and biological hazards went off on every computer in the room. Everyone was panicking, scrambling all over the place, trying to get out. There was more pushing and shoving. Nobody cared about what they were doing or noticed the man who had the chemicals pouring stuff onto the floor. He was being pushed as well, some slipping on the substances leaked everywhere. 

“Prompto, grab my hand!”

The voice of his mother brought his attention back to the chaos. Quickly, he took hold of his mother and was pulled toward the door. While a few people managed to get out, a lot of other people were beginning to struggle with breathing. Some dropped to the ground, others staggered against the walls.

“Listen to me Prompto. Go to your father. Do you remember how to get to him?”

The blond nodded as his mother covered her mouth to cough. Prompto wasn’t feeling much of anything thanks to his mother bundling him up in safety gear earlier. Suddenly he was pushed out and the door closed abruptly, in front of him.

“Mom? … … Mom!”

Through the small window, he saw his mother signal for him to hurry, her eyes tearing and irritated. The child hesitated but began his escape to his father’s office. It didn’t take long for soldiers and guards to head in that direction. It was with that scene that Prompto hoped they would save everyone. Nobody paid any mind to a little boy running for his life even though he was filled with information. They just ignored him as he fumbled and wheezed down the halls.

Once he had reached his father, he was too late. The same situation had begun to unfold. It was clear the entire facility was under an attack of some sort. Everything was a hazy mess. The young boy looked around, lost and scared, not knowing what to do at all. 

“You! Kid! Get out of here! Exit to the right! Let’s go!”

The blond heard the command but was still frozen. Multiple guards were screaming at people to get out through the designated exits. A hole blasted at some point to make evacuation quicker. 

“KID! GET GOING!”

He shook his head, the little blur in his eyes coming back to focus. When he noticed where everyone was going, he immediately followed. Airships were dropping off soldiers as well as rounding up survivors into them. Giving one last look behind him, Prompto noticed fires beginning to rage. 

“MOM! DAD!”

He yelled out desperately but was carried away by some adult into an airship. His crying, so hysterical, had put him to sleep. How long? He never knew. But by the time he woke up, he was lying in a hospital bed. Flowers and stuffed animals adorned the table across the room. He wasn’t attached to anything but was definitely under some sort of medication. 

His stay at the hospital wasn’t long. He was visited by many official looking people. Judges, lawyers, case workers. As an eleven year old in Niflheim, he had a few choices. Not knowing them, or caring to listen, he simply mumbled out, “Home” “I want to go home.”

Nobody would tell him what had happened, who that guy was, or why everybody seemed to have forgotten a whole Magitek facility went down. His questioning at every turn had definitely gotten to officials and politicians alike. That’s when they granted him monthly support, health benefits, free schooling, no taxes, and a scholarship to a college of his choice in Niflheim. As he grew older, Prompto denied the scholarship and, in time, dropped the matter. But he never forgot.

++++++++++

“He was a bitter, spiteful man. The guy had the whole thing planned with several others following him. Not everyone takes getting fired easily.”

Prompto still didn’t look at Aranea. His eyes wandered about to all the things he never got rid of. All of the things that needed repairs but was never fixed. Stuff he bought throughout the years to help him try to forget that entire day. The entire year. Every birthday that passed without his parents. Every big event he would’ve joined if only his parents were still around. Why did Aranea have to bring this up?

“It was covered up. Anything that makes the empire look bad is covered up. If people knew about traitors and people terrorizing others in their own backyard, they would riot. No ruler wants that.”

Aranea kept watching the blond in front of her. He was paying attention, as painful as this was. It hurt her too, especially once she found out the truth herself. There was a list of people that had to be watched due to their past “rebellious” behavior. Prompto was one of them. Aranea was on thin ice for even peeking into his case. 

“It doesn’t have to be this way, Prompto.”

“Well, it is.”

Prompto’s hiss in his words was unexpected. Aranea wasn’t a fan of being spoken to in that way so she took to his spot, kneeled down in front of him, and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. He flinched, trying to push her off with his arm. It definitely triggered past events to replay over and over. All the things that could go wrong in this moment.

“So that’s it? You just give up and let THEM win? Kid, with a case like this, you have the power to control these shit heads. But you prefer to let them silence you.”

He refused to look her in the eye. Because, in truth, he really wanted to put it all out there for everyone to know. Aranea was right. They silenced him. They were winning. And he was just being pushed aside, everything that happened, forgotten and lost. That wasn’t right. But being faced with a truth so harsh was hard to just take in and suddenly find yourself in an understanding state.

Not to mention, Aranea just became even more intimidating and he couldn’t get a word out at the moment.

“You think just forgetting and moving on is going to solve all your problems, you’re sorely mistaken, kid. Is this what you want for yourself? For your parents?”

“Let go of me…”

He finally managed to break through the tightness in his throat. Aranea wouldn’t hurt him. At least he hoped she wouldn’t. She released her grip on his shirt and took to grabbing his arms. He still wasn’t looking at her but his head was back in her direction, so that was a start.

“Even if I said anything… Everyone is already too far gone… No one would want to say anything for something that happened a long time ago. And if they have it as good as me? Then forget it…”

Aranea looked at him for a minute. Her sudden silence finally had Prompto looking up at her. There was a sort of confidence in her eye. Something that reminded him of his mother. The way she could access situations and feel it under her control.

“I thought I made the right decision joining this army. I was invited, I took it, and I was promoted automatically. It’s easy to overlook the truth when blinded by gold.”

“You’re suggesting something. Right?”

“You’re damn right, kid.”

Aranea nodded with a defiant smile on her face.

+++

After a long talk, the commodore was finally leaving. Though it was rough, it helped the blond a lot. Getting out things he never talked about before brought much needed relief to his mind. Aranea was a good listener and good at setting him straight. Her tough love was really something.

Prompto showed her out, his tired eyes watching as she began to walk. When she turned around he stiffened up, hoping she wasn’t going to start up again. 

“Just think about it, okay. If you decide to do this, I’ll be ready. Everyone else will be too. They understand whatever your decision may be.”

“Okay…”

She walked once more but Prompto wasn’t having it. He sped off, catching up to her with his amazing running skills. His arms trapped her in a tight, endearing hug, teary once again. All his crying produced one big massive headache but it was, in some weird way, a good one.

“Thank you, Aranea.”

“Yeah... Any time, kid… Now go read your letter before you lose interest.”

Prompto jumped back, remembering about the package from Noctis. That was definitely a read he needed right now. His smile broke through after a few hours of looking bummed out. He gave a playful punch to the commodore’s shoulder and began jogging backwards.

“I almost forgot! Thanks for reminding me!”

Aranea watched him haul ass back inside. 

 

“I wonder if this kid knows he’s talking to a prince…”

++

Prompto cut open the box, fiddling around with the folded papers inside. He noticed a nice amount of tissue paper covering something which may have been the thing that provided the small heft to the package. The temptation to unwrap it was strong but Prompto went ahead with the letter first. He unfolded, just for a brief moment going back to that part of his childhood he never wanted to remember. 

What would Noctis think if he heard that story? The last thing he wanted was pity. Aranea didn’t give him any, for which he was grateful for. But still, it wasn’t something he was aiming to receive. 

“Read the letter, Prompto… It’ll make you feel better.”

He read the first part, “Dear Prompto” out loud, wondering what this guy sounds like. What did he look like? Coming from Luna, Noctis was definitely who he says he is; a high school student that likes fish and games and has an outdoorsy friend with a little sister. 

“Ugh. I should’ve asked her.”

The blond continued, internally complimenting Noctis’s nice handwriting compared to his own, weird scribbling.

“Dear Prompto,

Do you like chocobos? It’s hard to tell. Just kidding. I hope Boco likes his new home. Glad you like the stuff I sent over. Don’t worry about splitting the scratch off winnings with me. It make me feel good if you had it-“

Prompto stopped and looked back at the tin box on the shelf for a whole new reason not concerning his past. The check and scratch off card were in there.

“I forgot about that!”

When he wrote the letter, he hadn’t discovered the load of cash in the form of a check that Noctis sent over. Which is why his statement came off as easy going. It was something he wanted to ask him about. Sighing, Prompto turned his attention back to the letter.

“Dear Prompto,

… I’ll just cut to the chase. Your letter came by way of Luna She offered to take it herself, right? Truth is, she’s a friend of mine and now a friend of yours. Which makes me feel like this was all meant to be. Like our friendship moogle pins and the necklace you sent over. At this point, how can we not be friends? You get me. And I get you. Well, with the exception of your liking of sea salt vinegar chips. That I don’t get. Point is, we’re friends and writing this and reading it does feel right. If we were to, someday, meet, where would be the place to do it? Some place in the middle? Accordo maybe?

Okay, I’m cutting to the chase again because I really want to say thank you. In your letter you wrote, you helped me realize a few things that I was refusing to see. I hope that makes sense. Your words were really helpful. So thank you for being nosy. By the way, I have seen pro photography because you keep sending me pictures. Like that portrait shot of Luna? It’s amazing. She loves it too. Don’t worry, she said good things about you. Apparently you’re energetic and talkative. Not to mention your talent in photography. I believe it, that’s for sure. You really should go to a school for that sort of thing. I know of a college here that offers classes for your field of expertise.

Back to you liking chocobos. There’s this bread over here in Insomnia that’s shaped like a chocobo. You can pull it apart and, as you do, it takes the form of a moogle. I want to send you one but I don’t know if it’ll spoil on its trip to you or not. It’s something my dad would get me as a child. Though, he likes to bring up the fact I would cry for it. Lies, I tell you. My dad is really great. I know I probably didn’t make it seem that way in my last letter but, he really this. I wish you could meet him. You two would probably hit it off. 

Anyways, that aside, thanks for the necklace. I see you remember I like fish. The outdoorsman guy likes cactuars. I think he does. He can’t get enough of tumblers, that’s for sure. You don’t have to send too much. It wasn’t any kind of ‘I owe you’ thing. We’re just glad you like it. But if you insist, it’s up to you. So, for your next round of goods, I’m sending over a recipe from another friend of mine to make up for not sending you chocobo shaped bread and, a mini decretive plaque with a royal Lucian crest etched on it. They’re a little hard to come by so I thought you might like it. For your wall or wherever you want to put it. I know I’ve cut to the chase twice already but, one more time… I’m sorry if this is too personal of a question but, do you live alone? I’ve been meaning to ask since you once mentioned homeschooling yourself. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want. It’s none of my business. Now I’m the nosy one. Yeah, so, that’s about it for now. Write you later. Or, you know, when your next letter comes in.

Your friend,  
Noctis ----- ------

P.S. I was thanked by for writing to some loser in Niflheim who actually isn’t a loser but is probably an insane chocobo fanboy. Wink-Wink.”

Prompto laughed loudly while wiping away a few tears. 

“I’m such a crybaby today.”

He continued to laugh, agreeing with the fact that he is a chocobo fanboy but, is most definitely a loser. Noctis didn’t think so, though. The blond took the second page with the recipe on it. 

“Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread…. That sounds yummy.”

Prompto read over the ingredients and the steps. It looked slightly complicated but he was willing to give it a shot. If it’s sweet, it’s worth it. Back to the box, he pulled out the tissue covered plaque, revealing the royal crest of Insomnia on it. For sure, one of the coolest things Prompto had ever seen. And it’s rare? It was pretty cool to have a Lucian for a pen pal. 

The blond was glad to not be overwhelmed with a hefty some of gil but, the question of him living alone definitely made him go back to his lengthy conversation with Aranea. He did live alone and not for any cool, independent reason. 

He didn’t find himself angry or sad. Instead, Prompto looked at the question once more, ready to answer that to an extent. Noctis felt comfortable to vent which, in turn made Prompto feeling some form of comfort to do the same. 

“Something to think about…”

Prompto had some big decisions ahead of him. If he followed through with Aranea, he would be giving up, for a while, the chance to leave Niflheim. If he stayed, he could help bring those who were wronged, along with himself, some comfort and justice. Peace of mind. 

But Noctis knows, probably, the same school that he’s been looking into for photography. That was an opportunity he didn’t want to just set aside. To get out of here and leave this whole mess behind would be most ideal. He could meet Noctis. The two want to meet. Accordo sounded like a good place to do so. And from there, they could go back to Lucis and eat at a Crow’s Nest. All the cool pictures he could take. 

He’d finally get to see what Noctis looks like. It was so easy to just ask for a picture or to send one of himself for that matter. This was an age of modern technology yet none of them budged out of this outdated tradition. 

The thoughts were heavy on Prompto’s mind. However, what was most important at the moment was getting down his response to this letter. And that signature… If he wrote his last name, it was insanely illegible. He would definitely tease him about that. As for the offering, he knew what to send to Noctis. A little piece of the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally getting to the point I've been waiting to get to with these two! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING  
> This might be a heavy spoiler to this chapter but I am going to say there is a character death and if you've ever been through a loss of a loved one this might trigger or maybe just be heavy on feels. Other than that, please do enjoy.

\---------------

Anything can happen within two weeks. From one letter to the next. Not once, did Noctis ever think it might be his last one. 

It was calm. The moments he spent with his father were fun and enjoyable. They actually talked to one another. Noctis told of his experiences in the city. His job at a restaurant, school, some kids he would talk to on occasion, and field trips. Apartment life was usually about Ignis lecturing him and keeping the room, “Neat and tidy”. Regis and Noctis had a good laugh over that as well as the marshal’s own tendencies to scold Regis over the same things. 

Lastly, the letters came up. The king finally explained the importance in keeping the peace with their Imperial “friends” to his son. It was like an argument between two toddlers, mainly. Regis admitted to adding more fuel to the flame rather than finding solutions to their problems. Of course, Emperor Aldercapt was immature too. Noctis would have never guessed his father could act so childishly. But, despite his own hostilities, Regis was confident that their connection could one day be a shining example of peace.

There was a day they spent near the coast, by the border. It was a popular spot with many families and clubs from different schools. The king ended up turning the area into an official park with a children’s playground, walking trail, piers for fishing, gazebos, and slabs covered by metal canopies with picnic tables. His reason for creating one of the most popular destinations in Insomnia was Noctis. Hearing this, the prince was taken back. For Regis, it was something for his son to remember him by. Not the fact that he created this place for his son but as a way to preserve his most precious memories with his son. 

They used to go to this particular side of the coast when Noctis was just a child. Mainly, it was all about fishing. It’s were Regis taught his, barely five year old son how to fish. Many sandwiches were consumed, chocobo bread loaves cried over, and many seagulls fed, accidentally. It was a father and son moment. No guards or advisors. None of the everyday burdens of a royal to get in the way.

The thought was eating up Noctis alive. Many sleepless nights with his phone near him, never knowing when that call would come. He slept an hour, stayed up an hour. Slept an hour… Up another hour. Each day, he started off with a stare out the window, a check of his phone, and only two bites of whatever Ignis cooked for him that morning. 

Luna was still around as her older brother had to return to Tenebrae to report on the situation in Lucis. The kingdom was about to lose it's king and, with that, gain a new one. An inexperienced child that needed his father. His father knew what to do. How to handle himself during the worst of times, when to deploy aid to those in need, how to rule this whole kingdom.

Yes, Ignis had always told him of his duties. Sometimes they'd argue over that, sometimes it was a calm discussion only because it went in one ear, and out the other. In Noctis's mind, his dad would rule forever and he could continue on with his “normal” life in the city. 

“It was such an immature way of thinking…”

Noctis set down his cup of rose tea as Luna took a sip from hers. She shook her head to deny the prince’s statement toward himself. They sat side by side so she could have a decent reach to comfort him when need be. Her massage like motion of her hands on his shoulders sort of kept him from a full fledged breakdown. Just barely.

“At some point in our teenage lives, we all think we have the answers. We think… life is so simple and our parents… last forever.”

“... I'm sorry Luna.”

Noctis remembered. Lunafreya had lost both her parents at a young age. The elders of Tenebrae had helped in raising her before Ravus took complete control of that duty. 

“It's okay, Noctis. Maybe, my past experiences could help me to help you. If possible...”

“Yeah…”

He wondered what would happen next. His father had been asleep for three days, as Noctis preferred to put it. There was practicly no response at this point. 

The prince shut his eyes tightly, trying to remove the image from his mind. Tears flowed down, his head shaking back and forth. Luna had signaled to the glaives keeping watch. All to familiar with her gesture for the past couple of weeks, they knew who to retrieve. Luna, a quiet cry beginning to unfolding from her, wrapped her arms around Noctis as tight as she could, standing from her chair to better hold him. 

++

Noctis sat up abruptly, waking from a dream he remembered having before. Someone screaming, the familiar building. The boat… it was closer than the last time but never close enough to see who was on it. That building, though. The prince knew it well. It wasn't so much a building but a certain wing of the citadel. His father's chambers.

“Noct! Noct… Are you ok?”

The prince blinked a few times before catching sight of Ignis on the edge of his bed. It was relieving to see him there.

“Yeah.”

Noctis rested his head against Ignis's shoulder, trying to soothe himself. The advisor's arms slid around the young man in an attempt to help. Heavy footsteps made way to their sides, a large palm rubbing the back of the prince. Smaller arms also came in for a hug despite having to lunge over the large bed of the prince.

“It'll be alright, Noct. I mean, at some point, it'll be okay. I don't know when but… we're here for you.”

Gladio's deep voice vibrated through Noctis body. Iris shook her head in agreement while Ignis simply carressed his head. The prince was overwhelmed by how much support three people, and Luna, could give. 

“Thanks, guys…”

+++

A few hours passed after that. Noctis was reunited with Luna, accompanied by his friends as well. A couple distinguished glaives, of the heroic caliber, stood guard at the grand door of the king's chambers. A doctor was by the king, still sleeping. By the look on his face, Noctis knew. This whole time, he knew.

“Dad…”

Gladio and Iris stood by their father who began to feel for his king. Iris clung to him as Gladio was trying to stay strong for them. Ignis slowly approached Noctis who hadn't moved at all. His whole body was cold and shivering. He desperately wanted to pull him away from looking any further. 

Luna had took her place on the opposite side of the bed, starting up a prayer to the gods. 

She called upon Leviathan to gather the tears of those who mourn.  
Ramuh to rain down those tears unto the world.  
Shiva to freeze the mourning tears in this moment.  
Ifrit to send comforting warmth to all who should feel Shiva's ice, the citizens, the friends, and the family.  
Titan to strengthen the lands now covered in the mourning tears that miss their king.  
And Bahamut to take this mighty king into his domain to forever watch over those for whom he loved.

A holy light emitted from the Oracle's hands and covered the king from head to toe. Noctis simply reached for his father, feeling the cold on his skin. He held his hand, his head on his father's chest.

The room was silent, the light from the Oracle now fading away.

“Goodbye dad…”

+++3 months later+++

Noctis was exhausted. There was meeting after meeting after meeting. How Ignis did this his whole life was beyond reasoning and reality. No wonder he runs through a twenty four pack of Ebony in a week. The former prince was needed everywhere. 

If there was just the slightest disruption near the checkpoint, they held a meeting on border safety. Robberies? Meeting was called. One school showed signs of two kids failing? Meeting. Shortage in any kind of food? Meeting. Or Noctis's personal favorite; a meeting for how to poke at the Imperials this time around. 

According to Ignis, the council joked about such things but wanted to see if the former prince would act on their provoking. Why start something for no good reason. During the months that had passed, they threw or ridiculous idea after the other. I had to be nothing more than a test. 

“The crowning ceremony will be in four months.”

Ignis tapped Noctis's shoulder with a can of Ebony. The young man took it,not needing to put his eyes on the location of his advisor. Another thing that happened as the months flew by was the unspoken bond between Noctis and Ignis. It was through his “mom” that he was barely managing to get anything done.  
It was weird to say but,

“I miss going to school. Can I at least go to my own graduation?”

“If you're meeting free…”

“That's a no then.”

“Indeed…”

The two stood in front of a large window, one of the top floors of the citadel, over looking the city of Insomnia. It was vast, busy, and a lot of work. Noctis, gazing toward the setting sun, sighed. A much needed action after a long day of heated arguments, training, etiquette classes, and time consuming paper work.

Ignis patted his back, nice show of appreciation and pride in the young man he continued to guide through his hard times.

“I hope I do him proud, Iggy.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know… this king stuff. Being a prince and being a king are completely different.”

“Yes they are. And the best you can do is embrace it.”

“But I want to do better.”

“You will. If you rush into your duties though, and try to act as how your father did, you will not succeed in your endeavors. Look to him as guidance, Noct. Though you are his son, you are your own person.”

Noctis lifted his head, eyes still on the setting sun. The words from his most trusted advisor echoed through his mind. 

++

That night, the prince found himself in his father's bed. Though most within the citadel urged Noctis to move into his chambers, he instead ordered it to be turned into a study. A place for the soon to be crowned king to concentrate in silence or, hold secret get togethers with Ignis, Gladio, and Iris. 

He was tucked into his father's bed, large, wool blanket covering him from his shoulders down to his toes. 

“Might have to retire this blanket, dad. A bit warm for me. And very brown.”

Noctis laughed by himself, curling up inside. His mind wandered back sometime before this all happened. A lot can happen so quickly and it gave him little time to think. 

His penpal in Niflheim. How was he? Had no letter come in from him yet? How much time had truly gone without him realizing he hadn't received a letter?

“Prompto… I'm sorry friend…”

Noctis, eyes closing, murmured his apology before completely being engulfed in sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I'm finally working (yay!) but it's temporary! But a job is a job so I'm gonna coast the rest of this year till I get something more secure! My updates will remain the same so every 2 to 3 weeks!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this one's a bit of a short chapter!

Graduation day was finally here and Prompto couldn't be more sleepy. Most high school graduations happened at night yet, his school had to be a rebel and have theirs at nine in the morning. Prompto set his alarm for five o'clock which gave him three to four hours to clean himself up.

The final weeks of his school year had been busy. No, school wasn't to blame. If anything, the teachers were so relaxed, anyone could just up and walk home. Prompto didn't. At first. The last week he did. But instead of going home, he was meeting up with Aranea and a good handful of people that used to work at the same Magitek facility as his parents.

Prompto was speaking out. He told his story of that day, how the empire pretty much gave him hush money and kept him quiet through even more money and empty promises. More men and women of that day talked. They too lost friends and family and we're kept quiet with overkill bribes. 

The days were long. Getting information together, looking into past newspapers and files could drive a young adult mad. But this was for the sake of justice and peace of mind. Prompto wanted to be a part of this. He had to. For his parents and so he, himself, could move on.

And today, finally taking his last steps on the school grounds for graduation, he wished his mom and dad could be here to see. A tear rolled down his cheek, his palm quickly wiping it away before anyone could notice. He took to the stage for his diploma, not really expecting much of an ovation. 

Yet, the small group he had become a part of was giving him a congratulatory cheer in the stands. His galahdian counselor, the weird librarian lady, the principal, and even a few students he sort of talked to during his senior year. And to the very back, not very looked after by anyone, was the commodore herself, nodding to the young man. Admittedly, she was very proud of him.

Ever the excited kid, he nodded back and smiled as he left the stage. It was a pretty wonderful feeling.

+++

“How many months have you been out of school already?” 

“Just a few months. It's still pretty weird not having to worry about school work… but now all this legal crap us keeping me up.”

Aranea just shook her head with a snicker. His complaining was usually pretty comical to her. But he was definitely correct about the legal issues they were up against. They're up against the empire. It was no small matter. The blond knew that and he was diligent, like the others. Everyone worked hard to bring forth evidence for the empire’s lack of effort to put the attackers in prison. 

Of course, admitting their flaws would mean they'd soil their “good name”. The empire NEVER makes a mistake. They keep EVERYONE safe. The sudden spotlight on this past conflict wasn't a great show of how great and safe the place is. Because of the news, citizens began to question their emperor's motives. 

So the empire decided to be unforgiving with their retaliation. Name-calling, harassment, and even threatening were a part of their attempts to get the group to back down. Prompto hadn't felt any of the wrath, possibly because he mostly traveled along with Aranea.

But the pain he did feel was the lack of any letters coming through. 

“What's the matter kid?”

Aranea looked at the blond with slightly concerned eyes.

“It's nothing.”

“You might as well talk it out. It's just me and you till the others get here.”

Prompto looked away from his laptop, rubbing his strained eyes. He had spent a lot of time looking through old photos he had scanned as well as more recent pictures taken back when Luna and Ravus were around. Even though plenty of time had past, he was still in awe at the fact Luna and Noctis are friends.

“Prompto?”

“Ah! Yeah! Hi.”

Somehow startled, the blond blinked away blurriness and focused on Aranea.

“I swear, I'm fine. It's nothing.”

“Sure…”

“Don't believe me?”

Aranea picked up a random paper in front of it and began to read,

“Emperor Aldercapt issues formal apologies to every victim of the Magitek Facility Incident. He says he'll step down as emperor and let some kid named Prompto take his place.”

“Okay. Sheesh. I get it.”

Prompto put his hands up, surrendering to the commodore's sarcasm.

“It's just… I haven't gotten a letter from Noctis. It's been, what? Three months or so?”

“Yeah…”

To say anything or not. Aranea constantly pondered on the idea of whether or not she should tell the kid about his friend being s prince. Or, rather, a king. The loss of king Regis put relations between Niflheim and Lucis at a stand still. It seemed the new Lucian king was still playing catch up with foreign affairs hence, leading the commodore to believe, he was unable to write back to Prompto.

As sad as it all seemed, Aranea knew that life, at some point would go on for both if them.

The silence that had suddenly dispersed itself into the room was interrupted by Prompto getting out of his chair and walking to a desk. He grabbed a pen and a handful of paper. No other word was spoken for a while. Aranea watched him for a few minutes before returning to her documents. The blond clearly needed a moment.

+++

By the end of the day, Prompto was ready to sleep. But before he did that, he went to the post office to drop off his letter. The main office was closed but not the drop off and box area. He slid a simple envelope through the opening on the wall. The sound of it sliding down into a bin full of mail satisfied his action and continued on to his mailbox. With the turn of his key, he unlocked. Disappointment flooded his mind, a tear almost falling from his eye. 

Prompto licked up and returned home. The walk was silent. Even the insects had lost their clicks and whistles. Walking in through his door, the blond released a loud, heavy sigh. 

“Guess all good things come to an end…”

He slumped down into his couch, peeking at his chocobo keychain clipped to his belt loop. One good squeeze to Boco and he pushed his head against the pillow. It saved him the pain of hitting the arm of the sofa, as he once mistakenly hit his head against it. 

However, the what ifs began to flood his head. What if they could've met? What if,instead of choosing to help Aranea bring some justice on some baddies, he had just left like he wanted? What if he received another letter tomorrow and he was crying for nothing?

“Maybe you're making a big deal out of nothing?”

Prompto said allowed in a chirpy voice as if his chocobo plush was consoling him.

“Maybe I am, Boco… I just. I was hoping it wouldn't end so abruptly. It was cool having a long distance friend, you know? I had hoped…”

Prompto closed his watery eyes, letting drops roll down his cheeks and drip off his chin to his neck. His face was scrunched, talking to himself through sobs.

“I really hoped we could have met in person. At least once. One time… I would've been happy with just the one. But no… I guess not.”

There was nothing more the blond could do at this point. He sent out one last letter in hopes of Noctis getting it. If he didn't receive a reply, then he would let it go. 

And yet another thing to forget about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's still chapters to come but, I've got the end in sight already! :)


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update! Yay!

Noctis was tired. Not exhausted or beat. Just tired. He kicked off his shoes, removed his jacket and flopped down on to his black, leather couch. He kind of hated the leather but, not much he could really do about it. Black and leather were pretty much the IN things for lucians. Growing up, he learned to just live with it.

What he couldn't live with was the council members trying to make him get rid of anything to do with Niflheim. When had they become so biased and hateful? Was this one of the many things his father always had to keep under control? The young king rubbed his eyes and looked across the room at the pictures his Imperial friend had sent to him.

They would always be spectacular to him no matter how old they were. Though the beautiful features captured in the portrait of Lunafreya were hard to miss, Noctis always showed off the picture of the frog, mid jump. To him, that must've taken skill and patience. 

Digging in between the couch cushions, Noctis pulled out a cardboard envelope. In it, he kept Prompto's letters. He couldn't understand why or how he had such a deep feeling for his long distance friend. They didn't know each other except for the letters they exchanged. It was hard not hearing from him after so many months that was about to turn into a full year. 

Something wasn't right. Noctis dug for his phone in his pocket and sent a text to his advisor and, more or less, the same message to his shield. Hopefully he was wrong for thinking his elderly council had something to do with not getting any letters. But he'd also rather be right than to think of Prompto just quitting on him. Though they weren't physically familiar with one another, Noctis knew Prompto wouldn't just stop writing.

++++++

“Your majesty? Is something the matter?”

Ignis waited patiently by Gladio who stood with his arms crossed, eyes droopy, making a loud note of the time.

“It's four in the morning.”

Noctis stood up from his couch, taking in a deep breath then letting it out. He took in the sight of Ignis and Gladio for a moment, hoping they weren't going to find his reasons for waking them ridiculous. As the king moved, he beckoned for the two to sit on the couch he removed himself from.

They were both a bit hesitant at first, thinking it be best if Noctis sat. Ignis moved in first, taking a seat followed by Gladio. Noctis pulled his desk chair in front of them, separated by a black marble coffee table. 

“So… there's something I'd like you two to look into.”

“Intruder? Spy? Someone need their ass kicked?”

Gladio jokingly smirked.

“Let's not jump to conclusions, Gladio.”

Ignis fixed his glasses atop the bridge of his nose. 

Noctis, amused by Gladio's joking, smiled. Ignis's serious demeanor helped him stay on track. Both were always helpful when it came to uneasy situations. At least, Noctis felt this to be an uneasy situation.

“I need you guys to keep an eye out on any letters that come through. As you probably remember, I had a pen pal from Niflheim…. I haven't gotten a letter lately and, honestly… it's had me worried.”

Ignis began to think internally as Gladio began his verbal process.

“Maybe he’s been busy? You guys are the same age and you once mentioned you were both in the same grade. Life kind of takes hold after graduating, you know what I mean?”

“I do but… I don't believe he would just quit out of the blue. I like to think he would've sent a farewell letter or something. Thing is… I think there's something going on.”

Ignis, who had been listening in and watching as his young king's shoulders dropped, pitched in immediately with knowing where this was going.

“You think the council members have something to do with this?”

Noctis nodded. Now it was Gladio in thinking in mode as the room fell silent. Amber eyes met with green eyes.

“They have been pushing for a ban on Imperial imports.”

“Imperial everything. The council have been expressing more and more anger. Even over tourists. ”

Noctis looked up at his retainers, glad they didn't see this as a childish matter. 

“So you'll look into this?”

Ignis pulled his attention toward Noctis. He expression voiced his usual, “you highness, really?” 

“It is an order from his majesty. Is it not?”

“Yeah.”

Gladio smiled, nodding his head.

“Then we're on it.”

The two left the room for the rest of the morning. Noctis worried for his retainers but found himself ready to take on anything. This was his call. Any form of peace and comfort trol his father had established was not about to be lost to selfish, bitter men. The late king and emperor Aldercapt may have been rivals, but they had respect for one another.

The king gazed out the window, looking as far out as he could. He too was being selfish. But if his selfishness brought resolution to a deeper problem, then it wouldn't be a total waste. 

Noctis knew the day would be long.

+++

Yes. The day was horrifically long. Noctis continued his routines, visits, appearances, and meetings as per usual. None of the council members had brought anything up which meant his retainers hadn't done anything to arouse suspicion. Good. Ignis and Gladio were smart. So of course, nothing could possibly go wrong.

Though, eventually, Noctis was asked where Ignis was since he had been shadowing the king since Regis’s passing.

“He's working on some stuff for me. Nothing more.”

Noctis remembered his father once ending a personal answer with, 'nothing more’ when asked about how he was grieving for his late wife. And they say kids don't pay attention to what their parents say? Noctis laughed to himself at the thought.

The members of the council were leaving, Noctis and Gladio's father, Clarus being the last two in the room. He stayed behind seeing as the king's own shield was not by him. When Noctis noticed, he slowly made eye contact with him. The loss of his father had probably taken some form of an emotional toll on Clarus. But yet, he continued to serve.

And with his service, came knowing.

“Like father, like son.”

Noctis shot him a small smile and his typical, “yeah.”

“Yes… both of you… such terrible liars.”

“Uuuuuh… I'm sorry?”

Clarus chuckled as he gathered his notes from their meeting.

“You even sounded like your father just now.”

Noctis didn't know whether to feel caught or confused. Clarus didn't come off aggressive. There certainly wasn't any ill intent. He just seemed to know Noctis was up to something. 

“Is something troubling you, your majesty?”

“If I'm being honest…”

“Yes?”

“A lot of things have been bothering me. However, maybe it's just me but… have you noticed the council's sudden rise in hatred toward Niflheim.”

“We're not exactly best friends with the empire.”

“True but. Even with that, my father was as inclusive as he could be. These guys, on the other hand, are just trying to shut shit out.”

Clarus chuckled once more at his late friend’s son’s use of a curse word. Ever like his father. The older shield sat himself on one of the many chairs, thinking over his king's words.

“I know a few months back, one of the members of the council discovered a letter from someone in Niflheim. There was a dispute between him and your father whom, ultimately won that argument.”

It had to be one of Prompto's letters. What else could it have been? Noctis thought it over. He was certain, now, the council had a letter kept away from him. What better time to snag it away. The newly crowned king was mourning, focused on current affairs, and catching up on the routines of a king.

“Hey Clarus?”

“Your majesty?”

“Thank you.”

“For what, if I may ask?”

“For always protecting my father.”

Clarus stood back up and faced Noctis. He had the same passionate gaze as his father. He had no doubt he was going to handle his first internal problem without a hitch. Watching him grow from a prince to a king in such short time was as rewarding as watching his own children come into their roles in the citadel.

“The pleasure will always be mine, your majesty. Though there was no way for me to save him from natural ailments, I did my best to honor his dying wishes.”

“Oh?”

“To watch over you. My son may be your shield, but I will continue with my own duty to keep you safe.”

“It would be an honor, man.”

Noctis scratched his head nervously. He was still growing out of his princely way of speaking. But if anyone didn't mind, it was Clarus.

They both went there separate ways for the rest of the day. With this case practically solved, Noctis sent Gladio and Ignis a message. He entered into a familiar waiting room with vast windows and chairs. Many talks were given in this room. Some ended good, some ended with a young prince storming off. 

Noctis thought of his immaturity then. Could he have been more of a brat? He sighed with a faint sound of amusement. Only months had passed yet he remembered these things like a decade flew by.

However, his every other thought began traveling back to Prompto and his letters.

+++

“We were able to sneak this package out.”

Gladio handed a semi bent box to his king. In his hand, Noctis carefully shook the box, hoping nothing sounded broken. To some relief, there wasn't a sound to suggest so. He looked over his advisor and shield, both seeming a hint out of breath, Ignis's clothes a tad wrinkled. 

When they didn't say a word, Noctis held his hand out to Gladio. The shield, slightly confused for a moment, made an audible 'oh’ sound and pulled his knife from his pocket. He was about to take the box to open it himself but was stopped by Noctis.

“I'll do it.”

“Sure.”

Without caution, Noctis slid the sharp end down the tape keeping the package sealed. It was a glorious sound. But before he continued, Noctis checked the address. He had to make sure it was for him from Prompto.

Once, twice, three times over he checked. Now that he was sure, the young king returned his attention to the flaps still hiding the contents of his package. Eagerly, his fingers slid into the box, folding the flaps, and pulling out the first thing he felt.

“A cup?”

Gladio tilted his head as he questioned the item in his king's hand. Ignis fixed his glasses, looking closely at a sticky note stuck to it.

“For your outdoorsy friend. This is the cactuar tumbler I told you about. Hope he likes it.”

Noctis gingerly handed it to his shield. Gladio took it, looking it over. Though it was a bit small in his hands, it would be perfect t for his morning juices or coffee. If anyone needed a tummy let for their coffee, it was Ignis. Either way, it was a nice cup.

Next out of the box was a pack of sparkly, moogle stickers. It wasn't glitter but more of a foil type shine. The moogles were a faint pink with extra tiny stickers shaped as hearts and ribbons. It didn't take long for anyone to figure it was for Iris. Still, Ignis read the sticky note from it as well.

“For the outdoorsy guy’s sister. She has really cute drawings! Especially her chocobos!”

“I'll be sure to give those to her.”

Gladio took the stickers as well. As Noctis pulled out the last item, Ignis's phone began to ring. He signaled to Noctis he was stepping away really quick. While Ignis walked out of the lobby, Noctis looked over what seemed to be some kind of tile. Engraved was the the building number.

“Magitek Facility...D71902. opening ceremony.”

He continued to read the date aloud, noting the year being around the time he was born. Several names were recognized for hard work and research. Taking the time to read each one, Noctis noticed a familiar sir name.

“Argenteum…”

Turning the commemorative tile around, he read the note to himself.

“It's from one of the first Magitek facilities here in Niflheim. I'll explain in the letter.”

“Everything good, your majesty?”

Gladio's deep voice broke through the young king's concentration. He looked to his shield and nodded once more. He carefully handed the tile to Gladio, who in turn, handled it with care.

The final item was a Tonberry spatula, also obvious who it was for. The note for it simply said, “my compliments to the chef!” The shield took that as well for when Iggy came back to admire it himself.

Finally, Noctis had gotten to the letter which was apparently folded as a boat. Very briefly, his mind conjured up the memory of a boat in his reoccurring dream. There was always a boat that came by but then left. And, also, someone aboard it.

He shook out the thought and unfolded the paper back to it's rectangular shape. Noctis sat himself down on one of the many chairs and began to read the letter.

“Dear Noctis,

Dude, don't take offense to this but, your signature was really messy. I'm no one to talk though. Mine is too so I won't be surprised if you don't know what my last name is either. So, about the tile I'm sending you. It's from the place my parents used to work at. Normally, I don't talk about it but, you asked if I lived alone and, my answer is yes. And the reason I don't talk about it is because my parents passed away when I was little. So what does it have to do with the tile? Well, their death was work related, and not gonna lie, it's left a bad taste in my mouth because those who should've taken responsibility didn't. It's part of the reason I want to leave this place. Geez…

I AM A FUN, HAPPY KID DONT LET MY SAD, DOWNER LETTERS FOOL YOU!

Seriously though, I really feel like such a downer sometimes when I write. Except at the mention of chocobo shaped bread! Is this real!? I would loooove to try some one day! Oh hey, how are you and your dad? I don't doubt he's a great guy. Especially with how cool you are. So how was Luna? Obviously she visited you if you got my letter. It's neat that we're both friends with her now. More you than me. Actually, it's an honor to be called THE Oracle's friend. I'm glad you two liked the portrait. It's one of my favorites too. The school you know about; I think I know which one your talking about. I got a catalog from a top Lucian college for the sake of their art programs. So many awesome photographs! Do you ever feel like you have so much to say but don't know how to write it all down? That's how I feel right now.

You definitely have me thinking where we could meet if that day ever becomes reality. I dunno about you but, meeting at a Crow's Nest would be badass. It's a longer trip on my end but it be worth it.

Glad you like the necklace. Ha ha ha. Why do people write “ha ha ha”? Three ha’s don't equal my laugh. Whatever Prompto, be quiet! Bleh! Anyways, before I continue with my weirdness, I know you said not to worry about sending too much but I really wanted to thank your friends and send you something cool. That decorative plaque is super awesome. The crest on it is awesome and I have it up on my wall so if I ever have company, people can see it. 

All the goodies have sticky notes so you'll know who to give them to. There should be a decorative spatula, a tumbler, stickers, and the commemorative tile. It's all a big thank you. Thank you for being my friend, even though we're far apart.

AND I WILL CONVERT YOU TO SEA SALT AND VINEGAR CHIPS!

Your Imperial buddy,  
Prompto”

Noctis sighed heavily. He was relieved to know Prompto didn't just quit. But he did wonder if he was left waiting without a response. So many months later. It had been too long. If he gave up after no response then it was understandable. 

Still, Noctis couldn't shake his odd feeling that grew inside him. There had to be more to this. The boat folded paper. The fact there was actually a letter.

“Your majesty.”

Noctis turned around barely realizing Ignis had returned. Gladio was standing by him already. Both of them looked ready to go.

“I believe the council might be on to us. I've also received word from one of the glaives that there is another piece of mail from you directly from Niflheim.”

“We can retrieve it, Noct. Just give Iggy and I the word.”

Hearing Gladio call him Noct gave the young king a much needed boost. He was going to resolve this issue with the council and see to it that the letters get responded to.

A simple nod and Ignis and Gladio took off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for sticking around, y'all! Hope you enjoy!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little something different for this chapter!  
> ///// is for Ignis/Gladio's pov!  
> +++ Is still for time gaps!

////////

“Gladio. There's no time for that. Remove your hands.”

“But-”

“Gladiolus Amicitia.”

Gladio backed up from the door to the break room, his large palm slipping off the door knob. He saw many platters of food that he wanted to get his hands on. Plus hunger was hitting him. A big guy like him needs to eat after all.

But Ignis was having none of it. He grabbed the taller man by the sleeve of his uniform and pulled him further away. They were in an early morning assignment for king Noctis. All three of them were certain the elder council was up to something. 

This would hopefully be a simple in and out mission. A little recon, and maybe even some internal espionage. If Ignis's plan goes well, that is. Gladio was one of the best at his job. Shielding, leading, training, lookout, you name it. Ignis had nothing but high praise for his well rounded skills. Well, almost well rounded.

Gladiolus wasn't the greatest at stealth as Ignis had learned from the many stealth trainings they participated in. At first, he was okay. But then he grew loud. His footsteps were like tap dancers on a stage. There would be instances were he'd kick whatever was in front of him due to not being aware if his environment.

Either way, Gladio, in stealth mode, was his own worst enemy. Gladio while he's hungry is also his own worst enemy. However, Ignis was not about to lose hope. If anything, he took this as a practice run. Points would be earned and subtracted then pointers to what he could improve for the next time. 

“Now. It's still early so chances are, none of the council members have arrived. We can check their offices and meeting rooms but not all at once.”

“Right. There's still the risk of early risers.”

“Not to mention locks.”

“Locks, eh? Leave those to me.”

Ignis was troubled by his taller friends sudden (possible) knowledge on lockpicking. More like breaking and entering. No. This was a good skill for this particular assignment. He would try not trouble himself over anything worse than that.

“This isn't some kind of heist job, Gladio. It's an important reconnaissance task-”

“More like a sweep job?”

They stared into each other's eyes, their statements flying right over each other's heads.

“We should hurry.”

“Gotcha.”

They began roaming the halls of the sixth floor of the citadel. This was were the majority of council meetings and clerical duties took place. Record keeping, bookkeeping, taxes, treasury, one of many war rooms, and recreational departments. Not to mention one of three mail rooms. It was pretty much a post office for all workers within the citadel and the very office Ignis had Noctis's letters sent to after it reached a private residence within the city.

Ignis ruled out anything with the treasury and recreational departments. There would be no sense in searching those rooms since even the council wasn't really allowed in them. The individual offices set up for the council members were top targets but so were the clerical offices. 

“Gladio. Search the record room. It's usually heavy with council activity. If you see anything suspicious, take a picture of it. Be weary of cameras as well.”

“Sure thing, boss.”

The shield took to his path, leaving Ignis going down his own. Fixing his glasses, the advisor quickly made his way into the office of tax records. His gut had him taking this room as the perfect place for scheming. Perhaps, maybe he was overthinking the situation. His first and only thought so far was that the council was going to try to overthrow Noctis.

And why not? Hes young, inexperienced, definitely taking on a lot more than any leader could handle. Hell, he was still taking etiquette classes. He isn't his father who was already seasoned in his duties. Noctis was just grasping the importance of it all. But what king doesn't start off that way?

That known, it was still unacceptable and cowardly to try such a devious maneuver. Ignis would have none of it. Very quickly, he handled the knob, thankful it was unlocked. He entered swiftly and quietly, his eyes missing nothing as he scanned every open shelf and desk. 

Through that process he worked through cabinets of files, nothing catching his eye. He continued in his search till finally, a letter in response to a proposal made by one of the council members.

“...while we cannot guarantee immediate results, we will definitely see to the raising of tourist visas specifically aimed at Imperial visitors… taxes on Imperial imported goods will continue to rise… continue with having the king sign false declarations and documents…”

Ignis, uncontrollably squeezed the paper, primarily mad at himself for not catching on to such treasonous acts toward his Noctis. The advisor, rarely revealing such an immature display, folded the paper and stuffed it into the inside pocket of his blazer. Despite telling Gladio to take pictures of any evidence he might find.

He searched the rest of the room, snapping pictures of tax forms and documents on Imperial born homeowners and those on work visas. They were being robbed of their money and a decent life to live anywhere in Insomnia. As soon as he closed the last filing cabinet, he paused.

The sound of the main door had him sneaking in between two unused desks. None of the lights had been turned on yet so he might be able to sneak out. He peeked his head out, noticing an unidentifiable shadow. As it looked to have turn his way, he made his way back in between the desks.

He cursed under his breath before inhaling. He counted down in his head.

“5… 4… 3… 2… … … 1.”

As he slithered out, he clashed with another. Thinking of every worse case scenario, he began to retreat back to try to make a crawl under the desks. Unfortunately, he was stopped. A wide and warm hand grabbed his wrist, not too brusquely but enough to cause a reaction. Ignis swung his free hand to the possible perpetrator's wrist, listening as his palm made contact. He dropped to his back, wrapping his legs around the arm and attempted to pull it.

“Ignis! What the fuck! Let go!”

The familiar rough tone of Gladio had Ignis immediately pull away and get back up to his knees.

“Gladio? Bloody hell. I was about to-”

“Yeah. I got that. Holy astrals... When did you learn that?”

“Self defense classes with the marshal.”

“That explains a lot… a bit extreme, don't you think?”

Ignis was up first and extended a helping hand to Gladio. Taking it, the big guy got up, mostly by himself, and gave Ignis a pat.

“Taking self defense classes is not extreme. Actually, I would recommend it to everyone.”

Gladio rolled his eyes and laughed, knowing his question didn't get interpreted right. He began to imagine what it would be like if one of the old guys was caught in that quickly put-together arm bar. Their arm would definitely break with the slightest pull. And judging by the way Ignis pulled, it would've been horrific.

The shield was impressed. He knew of the advisor's abilities but, to actually feel true force coming from him was incredible. Something inside the big guy wanted to feel more. Though, judging on how Ignis was striding ahead toward the door, he knew it wouldn't be the time to tease him. 

But he was going to present him with an idea.

“Hey Iggy. Hold up before you open that door.”

“Yes, Gladio? What is it?”

Ignis's sudden snap back to him was unexpected and making every little sensation build up inside. Was he always this… feisty?

“I have an idea. We could get an extra hand to help us out.”

“You don't mean Iris, do you? I would hate for her to get involved in this mess.”

“Nah. Though it's nice of you to look out for her though. I was thinking more along the lines of a glaive. Not too many of them are fond of the council. Especially the galahadians. You remember all the galhadian issues a few years back, right?”

“Of course… … … okay then. Who do you have in mind?”

“You'll see. Come on.”

The fact that Gladio already followed through with this plan made Ignis worry. But Gladio was confident in his extra muscle.

++Hour later++

“I feel I should maybe starve you more often. You work very well when famished.”

“Not nice, Iggy.”

Gladio and Ignis made their way back to the break room where someone was waiting and partaking in some of the food Gladio had been eyeing earlier. The sight was enough to make Gladio barge in, take a seat by the man, and start eating too. For acknowledgment, they both just nodded at one another.

Store bought finger foods and cakes were being scarfed down by what looked like two starving children. Crumbs, no napkins, and paper plates that weren't even being used covered the tables. Ignis was far too familiar with such a mess and not pleased to see it grow as they ate. 

“So… Gladio? What's this plan of yours?”

Gladio looked up from his feast and wiped crumbs off his face with the back of his hand. The other face in the room followed in this action, revealing his face to Ignis.

“Aren't you Nyx Ulric?”

“Surprised?”

“A little, yes.”

Ignis pondered on this for a moment before returning his attention back to Gladio. Nyx and Gladio were training buddies, work out buddies, eating buddies, and food crawl buddies. Give them free time and they'll close down every street food vendor around.

But they were also both extremely loyal, Ulric specifically toward Regis since Noctis has yet to fully address his kingsglaive due to various events involving the council. Though, it was as Gladio said…The galahadians, especially, hated the council for their unfair treatment and resentment toward them. And of course, the majority of the current kingsglaive were galahadians.

“When Gladio told me what the council might be up to, I knew I had to help. I know a couple of locations off this floor that the councilmen tend to hold secret… meetings, if you will.”

Ignis was mentally kicking himself, still upset with for not seeing any of this happening. It only meant he need to take his studies and trainings even more serious. Noctis was king now and there was no more room for screw ups.

“Will you be heading to those locations?”

“Yeah. I tend to take patrol in some of those spots on a slow day. I can get some of the newer glaives to take my usual positions.”

“May I offer my assistance? Or Gladio's, perhaps?”

“Nah. I've got this. You just get back with the king for now. I'll give you a call if I see something unusual.”

“Be sure to only take pictures. Better we leave as much untouched as possible. Also, if by chance you see anything for his majesty… like a letter or a package of sorts, please pick it up.”

“Even though we're trying to leave things untouched?”

Ignis nodded. Funny how every time he said that, he managed to do or say the opposite. The letters, however, are important to Noctis. He just wanted him to be happy, if only for a moment.

“Ok then.”

Picking up the last banana muffin, Ulric made his way out after, what seemed to be, a secret handshake between him and the shield. Gladio crossed his arms, waiting to see what Ignis's next move would be.

“So we'll leave this in Ulric's hands for now.”

“Yup.”

“Before we head back to Noctis, I want to check one more room.”

“Sure thing. Maybe I'll get lucky again.”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing.”

The shield walked out first, leaving the advisor confused. He followed shortly after, wondering what the big guy meant.

++Hour later++

One more room turned into three but in hurried manner. They were cutting it close with the time, knowing this was probably the hour everyone would start coming in. Not to mention a message from Noctis telling them where to meet up. Ignis just wanted at least one more snap of something shady. Anything.

Gladio, with his hidden talent, broke into a locked filing cabinet. It was used as a safe, holding individual files on accounts, credentials, and a box. It was a box, upside down and taped like a mummy at the bottom.

“Hey Iggy. I think I saw some movement across the hall.”

“I'll be right there. Just keep me informed.”

“Mhmm.”

Ignis lifted the box, carefully, out of the cabinet and turned it over.

“Prompto…” 

At last, he found something that could potentially ease his young king's mind. 

Without further thinking, the advisor snapped pictures of everything else and closed the cabinet quickly. He called Gladio back as they both heard a voice just outside the door. As it opened, Ignis lead Gladio to the darkest spot in the room and under a desk that was clearly in use whenever someone was around.

Both men bring to tall, they only stuck their top halves under and folded the rest of themselves in to keep from being so long. It was an awkward predicament. For Ignis, he caught a whiff of cologne he didn't realize the other was wearing. On Gladio's end, he was hoping to see more Ignis submission action. It was wrong to think but, he wanted to see him pop someone's arm.

The footsteps grew closer and stopped just in front of the desk. The sound of folders being organized above them had Ignis cover Gladio's mouth. Gladio's eyebrows furrowed as he did the same to Ignis. Neither one of them understood why they did it.

Once they heard the person walk away and the door open and close, they crawled out from under the desk.

“What was that for, Iggy?”

“What was what for?”

“You covering my mouth.”

“It was an instinctive move. It had to be done.”

“Like that armbar from earlier?”

“You're never going to drop that, are you?”

“What can I say? It was pretty hot.”

Again, the big guy walked away after looking both ways of the hall. Ignis followed, still confused by Gladio's words. “Why was he being so confusing?” Thought the advisor.

They both quickly fled to the elevator and made their way to Noctis.

+++

Sure enough, there was a certain gleam in Noctis's eye as he checked the address on the box about three times. There were different items seeming to be for everyone but Noctis.

It was a welcomed sight to see Noctis excited over his long awaited package. But before he could witness much else, Ignis's phone went off. He looked at his king while pointing to his phone hoping he understood his message. After some acknowledgment, he stepped out of the lobby and took the call.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Ignis. It's Nyx. Just wanted to fill you in on a few things.”

“I'm listening.”

“First off, I believe some of the old guys from the council might be on to you. There was talk of a busted filing cabinet with a broken lock. Second, I found an envelope addressed to his majesty. I can bring that over to you really quick.”

“Will it interfere with your duties?”

“Nah. I'll just be a sec.”

“Very well. We'll rendezvous back at our first meeting place.”

“Got it.”

After they hung up, Ignis made his back in, his prince clearly thinking to himself. Once he was more aware, Ignis gave him the news. Gladio followed right after,

“We can retrieve it, Noct. Just give Iggy and I the word.”

The look of relief in Noctis's eye gave confidence to Ignis and Gladio. Though the situation might turn messier than it already was, the advisor was confident in his king. Noctis gave them a nod of approval, sending the shield and advisor on their way.

+++

“Here it is. One letter and I'll send the pictures to your phone.”

“Thank you, Nyx Ulric.”

A confident smile flashed from the glaive as he firmly shook Ignis's hand.

“You crownsguard aren't half bad.”

“Neither are you glaives.”

Gladio patted both of them on the back, big grin on his face. He took the envelope from Nyx, getting their secret handshake in.

“If you need anything else, let me know. Till then, I'll keep an eye out and make sure these old guys aren't trying to make a hit on our king.”

“Appreciate it.” 

Gladio and Ignis replied in unison, looking at one another. The glaive took off in a flash, leaving the shield and advisor to themselves. Ignis sighed as he began to make his way back to Noctis.

“Hey Iggy. Hold up.”

Ignis stopped and turned around, taking a step back as Gladio almost ran into him.

“Yes, Gladio. What is it?”

“Your shirt.”

“What about it?”

Gladio put his hands around the others hips, earning a strong blush. He took his fingertips and guided them against Ignis's dress shirt. He tucked small portions back into his pants then brushed a strand of hair invading his forehead.

“There. Now let's go deliver that letter.”

It was Gladio's turn to walk off. He had a cool, almost annoying stride to him. Ignis could only fix his glasses on the bridge of his nose and clear his throat. His face was warm as hell. 

“What a curious notion you've given me, Gladiolus…”

Ignis spun around on his heel, facing the direction he was originally going in, and made a dash back to Gladio's side. Off to give Noctis his letter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this a few days ago but plenty of events kept me busy! But I did this last minute as an appreciation for the lovely kudos and comments! I've honestly never expected to get past a hundred kudos but I have and that makes me happy! I can never say thank you enough for this attention to my little fanfic idea! So I did this chapter to say thank you! :) <3


	17. Chapter 17

**********

Every time a person read a magazine, a newspaper, or viewed the visual images of corruption from the higher ups of Niflheim, they began to question their leader. At this point, the emperor knew what was going on. Even a few of his naive supporters and subordinates began to question what kind of a leader he was.

Add on the recent price spike on imported goods from Lucis and the sudden high cost of living and it made for even angrier citizenry. The emperor was doing nothing about anything. Though it could be, very well, due to Lucis's king's passing and his son taking the throne. Perhaps he no longer felt a need to be interested in the other nation.

Either way, the emperor did nothing. Everyone in Gralea was being backed up into a corner. Prompto couldn't be more proud of himself. And everyone around him as well. Aranea had officially resigned from the army to further support the citizens in their fight. She and Prompto were pretty popular are this point.

It was weird at first. Nobody knew who he was. The blond would hear people talking about his photos in the magazines and papers. He would blush but ultimately decided not to speak up. Until a few months went by, from May to July to October. Right on his eighteenth birthday. Again, he overheard talk over one of his photographs so he revealed himself. A quick introduction spread like a flood.

Aranea would tease him, fully understanding the feeling of being recognized and approached by “fans”. 

They continued to work closely. Her time in Niflheim's military had given her access to plenty of records and classified information. Easily, she used what she had in the courts in a reopened case. The more witnesses talked, the clearer it was to see the events of that day. It was clear it was an inside job by one of the more vile researchers. 

Former employees were hired by this jealous scientist to take out those who he thought took away his glory and spot light. Phone records, written notes, confessions- everything that was dug up was everything Prompto and Aranea needed to see and hear. 

Now, in the coolness of November, Prompto and Aranea, along with the other victims found peace. The guilty were to be thrown in prison (most likely to show those watching that not everyone had I'll intentions and willing to help). Everyone was free. No more silence. No more hiding. Those who wished for a cover up were exposed in the process and awaiting orders from the emperor. Whether he'd do anything or continue not too, was the last thing on Prompto's mind for now.

The blond took the rest of the day to himself. After congratulating everyone and excusing himself, he was back home. His tin box in front of him as he sat himself at his dinner table. 

“We did it… Mom. Dad…”

Opening it slowly, Prompto looked through memorabilia. Stickers, id cards, old enamel pins, anything that his parents gave him from work or from around town. The stuff was fading as we're his mental images of that day. A gigantic burden was lifted from his shoulders and he felt like he could breathe.

The air was fresh. Everything felt right. Prompto smiled before tilting his head in a confused manner. He picked up a piece of paper from his box. 

“What's this?”

Before he could unfold it, there was a loud knock on the door. It had to be Aranea. She was the only one who knocked like she was about to break down his door. Even though he wasn't looking for visitors at this time, the blond didn't want to be rude. Especially to Aranea after all she's done for him.

Prompto, light on his feet, swiftly made his way to the door, very briefly combing his hair with his fingers. If anything, that probably made his hair stick up more than what he wanted. He had worse bad hair days though.

Unlocking the door and swinging it open in a playful manner his grin turned into a look of surprise. A certain friend from Tenebrae stood tall in front of him, a look of impatience already adorning his face.

“Ravus! Uh… Ravus?... Yeah. Right?... … Ravus!”

The blond didn't even know how to react. But seeing how familiar he answered, Ravus went on ahead and flicked his forehead to let him know he wasn't dreaming. It was unexpected. And it hurt.

“Ow! Dude! Not cool!”

“Well, if you're done gawking, I have something for you. Not that I like being that brat's errand boy…”

“Huh!?”

Prompto rubbed the spot that still stung from the flick. Ravus, on the other hand, dropped his shoulders and let out the loudest, exasperated sigh ever heard by the blond. Again, he tapped the blond in front of him but with something he was holding in his hand. 

Paper made contact over Prompto's head. It didn't hurt but it had him flinching after the first hit. 

“This is for you. Take it.”

“Seriously?”

“Are you trying to test my patience?”

From awkward to smiling, Prompto took the paper item out of Ravus's hand and fanned himself with it. An agitated Ravus was a good thing. Just him being himself.

“Yes. Yes I am.”

“Ugh. Well. Get on with it.”

“What do you-”

“Read the letter, Prompto.”

“Ooooh! You mean… in front of you orrrr?”

Ravus nodded, not bothering to use words anymore. Both men stood quietly. Prompto hadn't fully examined the item in his hand. It was just random for Ravus to be here all of a sudden. The awkward, surprised feeling returned.

“Are we going to stand here all day or should I let my legs collapse under me while I wait for you to read that?”

“Sheeeeeesh! I get it. Wanna come in?”

“Why, I'd be delighted.”

Despite his sudden visit, Prompto was happy to see him again. If only Lunafreya had tagged along with him. There was nothing better than watching Ravus surrender to his sister's peaceful ways. His teen-like attitudes were the best in terms of making the tenebraen prince annoyed.

Once inside, Prompto brought him over to his living room. Ravus seated himself on the couch, taking a look around. He'd been inside before but there were a few new things. Like the Lucian decor on his wall. Something he knew came from Noctis.

He watched Prompto seat himself on his desk chair, finally peeking at the envelope. His entire body snapped toward Ravus in disbelief.

“This is from Noctis!?!”

Again, Ravus nodded. 

“Holy… no way!”

His fingers fumbled. Prompto was so many things at the moment. Anxious, excited, losing his breath, terrified, happy, and definitely close to just getting up to run laps around his house. But he remained calm. Or tried either way. As he tore open the envelope, he gave himself a paper cut. 

It didn't matter. Not like he was bleeding out. Much to Ravus's disgust, all he did to stop the bleeding was lick the blood off the cut and wipe his finger on his pants. It really did not matter what happened to him at this point. This letter was the only thing in existence.

Finally, Prompto slid the paper out. Carefully. It was different from the usual college rule. It was nice. Nice as in fancy. Quality. It was a beautiful, black bordered, Lucian themed stationary. The blond glanced at the envelope and noticed the same pattern on it as well. 

At the same time, he noticed the wax seal. The mark was different from what he'd seen from anything from Lucis. Deep blue eyes scanned every inch of the paper he held. Prompto began unfolding it, recognising the familiar handwriting that belonged to Noctis.

“Dear Prompto,

I'm not disregarding anything you've sent me. But,before I get to that, I need to apologize to you. I told you much about myself. I even vented out to you through our letters while I argued with my father. Everything I told you was truthful. You are my friend and I cherish this crazy, long distance bond we've created. It relieves me of the stress I have had lately. Especially now that I have read your letter.

Let me bring up my father once more. He was a great man and I definitely tested him. It was only when I found out of his declining health that I saw how I was and how important our relationship was. And I remembered what you wrote in response to my outburst. He was trying to prepare me for when he would leave. I loved my father and I know he loved me. Letting him go was hard. Knowing he'd reached the end was terrifying. But I know he did his best and he left, confident in me. So while I mourned him, so too did the citizens of Lucis. 

My father was King Regis Lucis Caelum and I am his successor, Noctis Lucis Caelum. And if that doesn't point out the obvious, that means I'm now the king of Lucis. I'm sorry I never told you any of this. I shouldve. I tried at some point. My messy signature was my attempt. I'm sorry. My only reason for not doing so was so that things didn't get weird between us. I feel like an idiot for saying nothing and I hope you've never gotten in trouble for writing to a Lucian. On my end, there was a bit of an issue over our communication. It was the reason I hadn't received anything from you. I took care of that issue. I looked to your own courage and will to fight for what's right you wrote about in your last letter to me. I am truly grateful for your friendship.

So, one more thing before I wrap up this overly stuffy letter… the person I sent to deliver this letter for me has something to give you. Lets meet up, Prompto. I'll pay for lunch. Crow's Nest sound good to you?

Wink-wink,  
Noctis

P.S. my friends liked the stuff you sent over and say thank you and hope you're doing well for yourself.”

Prompto blinked. He stared at the letter. Then he blinked again. Ravus stared at him, wondering if he was frozen. Perhaps stopped breathing.

The blond was shocked. Completely shocked. He took a deep, deep breath in and started at the beginning. The handwriting was definitely by Noctis. He had a way of looping his m and o together. Prompto tried to think back on their letters. Had there been anything to lead him to believe his pen pal was royalty? 

“Are you done reading?”

“Yeah… but- wait.”

“What?”

Prompto speedily read the letter before answering the tenebraen prince. The words didn't change and the thought of Noctis as a king was still hard to picture.

“You knew Noctis was a prince.”

“Was I supposed to tell you?”

“Uh, yeah! Duh!”

“My sister never told you either.”

“I know. Why is that?”

Ravus only shrugged his shoulders. He reached into a secret pocket within his coat and pulled out a small booklet. That, too, had a seal much like the one on the envelope. It was Prompto's guess that it came from Noctis as well.

“The commodore tells me you've won a very important case.”

The blond was surprised. One, he was still calling her commodore when she wasn't anymore and two, she told Ravus about the case. When had they talked in the first place?

“We did. She's also not commodore anymore. But she's still a badass.”

“Right. The end result was in your favor….” Ravus stood up from the couch, his full attention on the blond. “But did you ever think this would have impact elsewhere?”

“No?... … … where?”

“My sister, as Oracle, is condemning the actions of the emperor and his followers for their crimes against his own people. She has taken action to make sure those affected by the emperors neglect get a chance to refresh themselves.”

“Thats-”

“And Noctis, as king, has begun the process of fixing the damage done by his former council and the council of emperor Aldercapt. Travel and trade will no longer be hindered by council enforced sanctions against Lucian and imperial trade.”

“I-”

“Here.”

Ravus handed the booklet to Prompto, making sure it was secure in his hands. He gripped the blond's shoulder with his hand, squeezing tightly. Like the first time he ever did that, many months ago, it was awkward. However, all of this sudden information was overpowering that awkward grip. 

“Ravus…”

“Don't thank me.”

“I wasn't.”

Ravus scowled at the blond who did his best to smile at his teasing toward the prince.

“I'm not really part of this, am I? I mean… am I actually- Noctis… “

As Prompto looked down, cool fingertips pinched away at a tender spot of his arm. The blond yelped, pulling his arm away. He rubbed the area in pain, sticking his tongue out at Ravus.

“What was that for!?”

“You're not dreaming. Now look at the thing I gave you. It's a gift.”

Prompto did just that. The booklet was about the size of a pocket notebook. Thin with a black cover, it had a glossy look to it. As simple as it was, it was elegant. Very carefully, thinking he'd tear it, Prompto slid his finger under the front cover and opened the booklet.

“No way… this is a passport.”

The blond joined Ravus in standing up. He was hot and cold and sort of felt like he was about to vomit. This entire moment of this day had to be unreal. 

“My question for you is this. When can you leave?”

Prompto stepped away. He was overwhelmed at this point. He was back at his treasured tin, hoping for some glimmer of comfort. Ravus watched, starting to feel a little bad for abruptly piling all of this on him. 

“Dude… I'm still trying to wrap my head around my pen pal being a king. I hope you're not expecting an answer right away.”

“... … … I need an answer right away.”

“I don't have the money to travel. Going to court, and paying fees, bills, getting groceries and hygiene crap and whatever else life throws, adds up! I'm not made of money, you know…”

The two went quiet, Ravus with his arms crossed and Prompto looking in the tin box. His foot tapped nervously. The blond, as excited as he was to see the passport, was at a loss. Even if he had the right documents to travel, there was no money to do so. 

His fingers began to fiddle around with the folded paper he had grabbed earlier. 

“I guess Noctis didn't think this one-”

“No! Hold that thought! Hooooold that thought…”

Prompto smiled, a tiny sounding chuckle escaping his lips. He lifted the unfolded piece of paper up to his eyes. Keeping it at that level, he reached into his tin for a particular scratch off card Noctis sent back to him.

The case was won, his friend is a king, Ravus is here, he got a passport by some strange miracle, and just remembered he had a check and a scratch off ready to be cashed.

So with all of that, amidst all the confusion and bombshells, Prompto thought to himself, “what's next?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Yay! Glad I got this up before Thanksgiving cause these next few days are usually busy for me! And I'm almost done with chapter 18! Also: Ravus is back! :D


	18. Chapter 18

+++++1 week ago+++

\-------------

“Dear Noctis,

Hi my really cool penpal friend! I hope I'm not bothering you or anything. If you're busy I understand and I hope you got my last package. There was stuff in there for your friends and for you too. So did you graduate? You did. I know you did! I did! Who else did?......... Did. Sorry I'm weird.

I've been pretty busy, believe it or not. Sometime around my last few weeks of school I did something pretty big. In other words, important. Well, I'm hoping you got my last letter because, I sort of talked about how my parents died and stuff. They were scientists for the empire. Both of them were so smart and nice. I never thought anything bad could happen to nice people like them. But when everything went down at the facility they worked at, my whole thought process changed. I'm not so naive anymore but I also believe we, the people that were affected by this attack, don't have to just sit around and continue to be just another cover up case. So we've taken action. Even commodore Aranea is helping us. Actually, it was her idea. And here I am trying to take all the credit. Silly me. But, yeah… it's been a battle. It's the empire, after all. Of course it isn't easy. Not going to lie, it's been hard and sometimes I don't sleep because I'm thinking about what could've been or what happens if we lose. Sometimes I think: what would Noctis do? Not to put you in the hot seat but, what would you do? I know it's not really something you can answer so, I'm sorry if it's dumb of me to ask. I'd like to just quit sometimes. But I can't and I won't.

Hey, Noctis. If you do get to read this, I just want you to know I'm glad we got to write one another. Even if we stopped writing, I'd still like to meet you one day. At a Crow's Nest diner. I'll bring the members card and we can pig out on what you think is the best dish there. And I'll bring you some more stuff from the department store I used to work at. You'll always be my friend. And your letters will always be special to me. Thank you buddy from Lucis.

Wink-wink,  
Prompto Argentum”

“Prompto…”

Noctis hid his face in his hand, holding back his sudden urge to leak a couple of tears. It was only an hour ago when his retainers returned with the letter. The envelope was a bit torn but the paper inside was intact. Crinkled but still in one piece. 

Everything about this letter hit Noctis in the chest. Prompto's parents, his fight against those who should've taken care of him, his strength. Most importantly, the fact that he hadn't given up. He hadn't just quit. At any point, he could've just dropped this whole idea of writing but he didn't. Despite his own hardships. 

At first, his mind was fuzzy. Noctis didn't want to let his other thoughts return yet. In little ways, he found himself understanding and relating to Prompto. Being king was hard. Catching up, learning, keeping track of every tiny bit of information. There wasn't a day that had gone by so far that he didn't feel like quitting. 

Even Noctis caught himself wondering what his penpal could possibly say to him during this time. He too was awake often at night, constantly going over every moment of his new life. And his dad. He never thought he'd lose him. It still felt so sudden. So... abrupt.

Everything has changed so much for both of them and yet, Prompto wrote to him still, never changing the tone in his writing.

“Ignis.”

“Your majesty?”

“Gladio.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

Noctis turned around, folding up Prompto's letter neatly. He slid it into one of his pockets inside his regal jacket but the envelope, he left out on the open, on the arm of a lobby chair. Ignis and Gladio looked over his actions, awaiting his words. 

Sometimes it seems easier to just quit and let the worst of the worst have its day. Things happen for a reason. What might've been a set back, something to be held back by, was really what built up strength. Noctis felt that. He felt it through Prompto's words as well. 

He always thought the worst part of his reoccurring dreams was holding him back from what could be the best part. But he saw it now, clearly. The scream faded as the building remained. The skies were clear, the waters calm. The boat parked by the pier. All he needed to do now was close the doors and board that boat.

“Call a meeting. Make sure EVERY council member is there.”

Gladio smiled widely and Ignis, with great pride, bowed to his young king. 

“It shall be done your majesty.”

“As you command.”

Noctis looked to the abandoned envelope, taking a deep breath. He then turned in his own direction to make tracks toward the throne room.

++++++

The first time Noctis ever sat on the throne was when he was six. His father brought him up the stairs, barely able to hold on to his excited son. The prince squirmed, wiggled, and even attempted to unfold his father's arms. All was in vain but he never gave up. 

Still in vain till he realized he was being brought down to the floor. Clarus had said something about letting him walk on his own while Cor agreed with his statement. When the older men looked toward the child, he was already sitting on the throne, legs cross, sitting as high as he could, elbow perched on the arm of the chair with his cheek to his hand.

The retainers laughed, noting the perfect little clone imitating his father. It was a sight to see. 

And now, as Noctis climbed the steps on his own, no one to carry him anymore, he stopped in front of the royal seat, observing every small detail it held. The young king sat himself, legs crossed, sitting up straight with his head held high. He rested his elbow on the arm of the throne, his fingers closing into a semi formed fist.

He listened as the tall, wide doors of the room opened. One by one, council members walked in, bowing as they were in the young king's sight. Meetings were never held in the throne room. It left the elders suspicious. Many of their faces showed confusion or some amount of smugness.

Last to enter were Gladio and Ignis, along with Clarus and Cor. Though the marshal had other, more important matters to attend to, it was necessary for him to be here. Just in case anything happened.

The elders formed to rows as if they seated themselves at a table. They looked at each other, whispered, and quieted down when Gladio's roaring voice had them turn their attention to Noctis. A quick glance over at Ignis, who nodded with reassurance, settled the king. 

But before he could say a word, one of the elders spoke up.

“Your majesty, I couldn't help but notice an envelope in the lobby, addressed to you. Leaving such things out in the open is just asking for-”

“Trouble?”

Noctis finished his sentence. With a shocked expression, the councilman agreed with a low, “Yes, your majesty.” That deep breath Noctis inhaled earlier was now released. He had control now and with it, he was going to do what he had to.

“Anyone else have something to say?”

The councilmen shook their heads almost answering in unison. Noctis's young voice echoed in the throne room. It was complete silence. 

“I find that interesting. There's nothing any of you would like to say? Nothing to share?”

Noctis looked to one of the members, gaining his eye contact immediately.

“How are trade deals going with Niflheim?”

The councilman, though spoken to by his king, remainder mute. Unamused by this, Cor also glared his way.

“Your king asked you a question. It would be in your best interest to answer him.”

A sporadic nod and the elder replied.

“There is… there's room for improvement. But emperor Aldercapt is not responsive to any of our proposals.”

“And what proposal would that be?”

Again, the elder was speechless and gazing around at the others for some help. Noctis. Still sitting up tall, let his hand drop to his lap. He played the part of annoyed. Something his father did in many heated discussions.

“Then perhaps you can tell me what's going on with price spikes on passports and costs of living for those coming from Niflheim?”

“Y-your majesty?”

Every member of the council looked to Noctis. Wide eyes and mouths agape froze in the mom. 

“Or maybe, you can tell me why some of my belongings were within your grasps?”

“No. Your majesty, please I-”

Another councilman began to speak up, anger rolling over his face.

“Your communicating with the enemy is treason! Those imperial bastards don't deserve our rich and lavish lives.”

The young king didn't blink. He stayed seated, hands rested on his lap. His body pulled forward, scooting up to the edge of the throne. He was focused directly at the outspoken councilman. 

“You're well aware of the number of Lucian citizens living in poverty, correct? So I'm assuming you're speaking of your undeserved lifestyle… … I find it funny that you're trying to call me out for treason after all of the stunts this council has pulled.”

“Where's your proof, king?”

Gladiolus approached the shorter man, the shadow he casted enough to intimidate anyone. The disrespectful tone from the elder riled him up, causing Ignis to quickly follow and hold him back.

“Speak to our king with respect.”

The older man took a step back. He eyed Clarus but all he did was smile at his son’s protectiveness over their king?

“I have all the proof I need for what I'm about to do.”

Noctis gave a nod to Ignis who backed away from Gladio and revealed a few folded papers from his blazer's inside pocket. He handed them to the louder councilman who snatched them guiltily. Word for word he read the first page. Some of the other elders huddled around him to see. The ones that didn't already knew what was coming.

“Treason enough for you, councilman?”

They looked up to see their young king standing over all of them by the throne. He remained calm. Nothing about him seemed uneasy or on edge. Not even disinterested. Noctis was standing firmly with his move.

“As of this moment, I see a new council to be formed. None of you will be in it, that's for sure. You will all be discharged with shame and guilt to accompany you.You will not harm my people anymore.”

Many gasps and words of disbelief filled the room. Noctis had won his first battle. It was satisfying and filled with relief. 

++++++

“There are to be many changes, your majesty. This is only the first step in repairing the damages done by the council.”

“I know.”

Noctis faced Clarus as he spoke, Gladio, Ignis and Cor also tuning in. 

“As of right now, I'm putting all of you on the council. Until a new one is formed. But for sure, I want Clarus to lead.”

“Your majesty?”

Gladio smiled, patting his old man on the back. Ignis smiled with a soft congratulations to the former shield. Cor placed a hand on his friend's shoulder with a congratulatory grip.

“It would be an honor.”

“The honor is all mine, man.”

Everyone laughed in the wholesome moment. It was a break from the tension that had been building in the citadel for a while. Even as the day went by, the elders departing from the building and back into civilian life, the mood was still high.

As soon as Noctis had made back to his room, he flopped down onto his bed and closed his eyes. He was ready for sleep. He couldn't wait to write about this to Prompto.

“Oh! Yeah. Shit. Prompto!”

He quickly sprung out of bed and jumped right to his desk. The young king pulled out royal stationary and a very basic ballpoint pen he had been using since he became king. Not even Ignis could convince him to use anything but a basic ballpoint pen.

Noctis thought for a moment. Prompto didn't know that he was a prince when they started writing. Now, as he was ready to write to his long distance friend, he was a king. It wouldn't be right if he kept that to himself still. 

It was time to let his pen pal know who he's really been talking to.

++++++

The visit was unexpected but definitely welcomed. Or, rather, Noctis was happy to see Luna. But where there's Luna, there's also Ravus. Either way, it was good to have more friendly faces around.

“It's good to have you guys here.”

“Always a pleasure, Noctis.”

Luna and Noctis warmly greeted one another.

“Ravus.”

“Noctis.”

It was a silly stare down but not one that lasted long. Ravus extended his hand out to shake the king. 

“I've heard from various workers that you've gotten rid the majority of your council?”

“All of them.”

Luna and Ravus were surprised. 

“I put together a temporary council till a new one is formed. I have the head of house Amicitia and my advisor on top of everything.”

Surprised and, a little, impressed, Ravus nodded at the controlled situation. 

“Well you've definitely matured…”

Luna gave a quick glance at her brothers somewhat sarcastic statement. Noctis was quick to retaliate.

“And you've definitely uh… also matured. You don't seem as snarky.”

“Is that how you saw me as? Snarky-”

“Oh, Noctis. We have much to discuss in terms of our standings with Niflheim. “

Luna cut in just before the two of them could start pointless bickering. As fun as it was to watch, the Box Fleurets did have a purpose for showing up unannounced.

+++

The day was filled with talks and meetings with a few new members of the council present. For once, the meetings were less stressful. Much had been resolved though. New treaties and trade deals were made to be presented to the emperor. Something Lunafreya planned to do herself. Though Ravus protested her idea, she won her argument.

Ravus was going to follow nonetheless. His role would be similar to his sister's Oracle duties. All would be in an attempt to reach out to the emperor to repair their alliances.

“Hey Ravus? You got a sec.”

Noctis approached the prince of Tenebrae, an envelope in his hand.

“King Noctis? How informal of you?”

“Yeah. My bad. Hey, uh, since you and Luna are headed to Niflheim, can you do me a gigantic favor?”

They both fell silent. Ravus definitely knew what Noctis was about to ask. The envelope, the sad puppy dog eyes. His childish tactic was somehow getting the better of ravus.

“I'm not your errand boy.”

“No. Even better. You're my best friend.”

Ravus felt a violent urge to kick him in the shin for his sarcasm. Which was fine since Noctis also felt like shoving the envelope into his hands and pushing out the door to send him on his way.

“There's no better friend than you Ra-”

“Fine, your 'majesty’. But you're going to owe me for this.”

“Nope. Oh yeah, here. This too. I had it made overnight. Took advantage of my position and had this made for Prompto.”

“A passport?”

Noctis nodded. He turned away, feeling a sudden nervousness flood his stomach. 

“It's legal, by the way.”

“Don't care.”

“Good.”

More silence as the two young men gazed out into the distance. Once Luna was done tending to the sick in the hospitals, it would be time for them to go. 

“It was cool having you guys around.”

Ravus looked to Noctis who looked stiff. Too much nice tones with one another could be exhausting.

“It was a… pleasure to be here. May your New council be… better than whatever that mess was before.”

“Yeah…”

There was something else to the king's sudden conversation. Ravus could feel it. He saw it in the nervous state Noctis was in.

“What is it?”

“Huh? Nothing? Zoning out I guess.”

“Are you really? Or is this about Prompto?”

Noctis hung his head before over dramatically whipping around to see Ravus.

“I pretty much invited him over to Lucis. We've both had this idea of meeting one day and I REALLY think that day should be now. I mean… not, right now, right now, but, now. Coming soon.”

Ravus cocked an eyebrow. For Noctis to let such sensitive information out was new. Different, for sure.

“That explains the passport… … … I'm pretty sure he'll be excited to hear this news.”

He had nothing more to say. It wasn't normal for Noctis to just let everything out. However. He genuinely felt nervous for an event that may or may not happen. Excitement filled his head, his heart beating rapidly. The very thought of meeting Prompto was exhilarating. 

“And I left a note taped to the envelope with instructions for you. Just follow that and-”

“Yes, yes. I got it.”

“Ravus?”

“What?”

“Thank you.”

“No. Don't, ugh… … you're welcome.”

Both of them rolled their eyes. They passed their time with silence, bickering and contentment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm... Maybe Noctis should've done more to the council!? :D
> 
> Oh well! Anyways! We're definitely nearing the end soon! I'm excited to write the next parts! For now, I go to bed and recharge my brain! :)


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, *** are for Prompto and ---- are for Noctis! +++ Are time jumps! Enjoy!

*********

The blond was suddenly in a bank. Not suddenly but more, got himself to a bank that dealt with foreign things and different odds and ends. He never thought he'd be in a place like this but, the check Noctis sent him couldn't be cashed at his normal bank.

Yet, in the midst of taking a bus to several different locations, Prompto's mind was on this potential trip. First of all, would it be hot in Lucis. The summers in Niflheim could be muggy at times especially within the busier sections of the city. 

Then there was the matter of what to pack. How much should he take? How long was he staying? Was this really going to be enough funds to keep him on his feet during the trip? Should he buy an extra memory card for his camera?

Most importantly, would Noctis like him? He's a king. He's an important figure in the world. How come he'd want to meet some average guy he only knew by letters?

Thankfully, his check was cashed, no problems, despite how long he had it. The blond wasn't about to complain so he left, back to his house to get situated. He had hoped Ravus would be back but he wasn't. For now, the prince was taking the place of the Oracle, his sister, and aiding people with how to make a fresh start.

It was hard to picture him with a soft look and compassion. Laughing as the images swirled through his mind, Prompto made a quick detour to the post office. The postman, having not seen him in a while, shot up with delight. A smile and a wave was invitation enough for Prompto.

“You have mail. It's been a month since you last checked it. How've you been?”

“Uh, fine. Just fine. I might be traveling soon. Not too sure yet.”

“Why aren't you sure? If I were you I'd just go.”

“I know. It's just…. I know this guy. He's… much more than I thought he was. You know what I mean?”

“Sure, sure. I get you. And here's your mail.”

About eight envelopes and five types of reading material surfaced on the counter. Though he didn't expect anything, he checked just in case it was from Noctis. But he did spot another catalog for that nice, prestigious art school in Lucis. He had almost forgotten about that little dream of becoming a photographer. 

Prompto looked back to the postman who was already back to sorting mail with his coworker. 

The blond was back to walking. Trying to clear his mind was impossible. His pen pal is a king and he's ruling over a country right now while wanting to meet some plebe who doesn't even know what he wants to do at this very moment. 

“Why am I so unsure?”

Prompto, as he journeyed home, stomped his feet a couple of times just trying to get through his questioning himself. He wasn't about to lie to himself and think he'd rather stay home. Though climbing into bed sounded like a great option.

This is something he would like to do. Leave, meet his pen pal, go to school, and maybe even potentially brag about being friends with a king.

At the door to his home, there was a not left behind by Ravus. He definitely meant it when he said he needed an answer.

“If you're going to make this trip, meet me at the train station before ten p.m…… ”

Prompto sighed after reading the note to himself. Entering his home, he wondered what he would do with it once he left. Selling it wasn't too bad of an option. He had his memories here but, from his childhood. Those we're all rolled into his tin box.

“That's definitely coming with me.”

He took the box off the shelf and looked around some more. As he thought about it, he came to the conclusion that the majority of his things wouldn't be able to come with him. Just a few valuables, clothes, essentials, and nothing more.

This would've been such a great moment if everything wasn't thrusted upon him all at once. What was he supposed to do? Sell everything in an hour, jump on a train, flash a passport, and meet his long distance friend? It sounds great but, anything is easier said than done. 

For the time being, Prompto flopped onto his couch with his tin box resting on his stomach. His mind was scrambled, overheated, and in need of a nap. And that was exactly what he did.

\----------

Noctis sat up from his father's bed, yawning and stretching long like a cat. It was midday but he didn't care. He was in a three hour long meeting and in need of a nap immediately after. He was trying to get as many matters settled in a short amount of time. 

Was it possible? Probably not. But he had to try. It wasn't as if he were leaving Lucis completely. Even so, a simple trip outside the city walls could be enough time for anything to go wrong in his absence. That's why he decided to leave Cor and Clarus in charge for the week he would be out. 

When he first presented Ignis with his plans, the advisor was shocked. So much had happened during his first few months as king. All of a sudden he wanted to take a trip outside to go meet his pen pal from Niflheim? Ignis wasn't sure about the idea and somehow managed to convince Gladio as well.

The shield didn't say much on the matter except for the fact that it was a rather brace and unexpected move from the young king. When Iris heard about it, she was completely on board for the idea. Something about it being romantic, cool, exciting, mysterious, and enlightening. All of those adjectives could be used to describe the books she read.

But with everything that had happened to the king, and to Prompto, he thought this was the best time. Ignis wanted to tell him no like when he had ideas of running away. This wasn't the same though. Noctis was growing up before his very eyes. He was handling his problems head on and making simple yet grand connections with others. Especially with Prompto. 

So Ignis suggested he and Gladio go with him. Not only was it their duty to protect him, it was sort of a break from the stresses of the citadel life. Knowing Gladio and Noctis, he'd still have to keep track of everything and make sure nobody starved or lost anything.

Noctis kept in touch with Ravus who messaged him once he was in Niflheim. Word of Lunafreya's visit also reached out to the king. At some point, Noctis would have to speak with the emperor about mending the relationship between their countries. For now, Luna would be everyone's voice.

It had been a day or two since he had heard from the Tenebraen prince. There was some worry beginning to build. What if Prompto didn't want to meet. If it was nerves then Noctis understood completely. Since writing in his last letter about meeting and telling Ignis and Gladio about the trip, the young in grew nervous.

There was a possibility this happening too fast. He's still a fresh new king just barely getting a grasp on his responsibilities. But, if he wasn't confident enough to take one step out into the open, what sort of king would that make him? He wasn't about to turn himself into a shut in ruler.

“Your majesty?”

From the otherside of his door, Noctis heard a knock and a familiar accent. No doubt, he was here to accompany him to his next scheduled meeting. It was inevitable so Noctis dragged himself out of bed, his royal raiments a tad wrinkled since he didn't bother to change out before his nap. Going in and out of his clothes would be a hassle and precious time wasted when he could be sleeping.

“I know, I know… I'm coming.”

He opened the door coming face to face with his advisor. 

“If you know then why are you just getting yourself out of bed?”

“Am I that obvious?”

Ignis only stared blankly at his king. Noctis grinned as he and his advisor made their way to another meeting. Entering the elevator, Noctis's phone began to ring. He wasn't entirely sure which pocket it was in. A quick self pat down and he found his phone. 

Quickly, his finger tapped the screen to answer, not checking to see who the caller was. There was no need though. Ravus had a very distinguished voice. One that Noctis used to pinch his nose to imitate when he was younger just to annoy the older prince. 

But there wasn't need for that at the moment. A call from Ravus had to mean news about Prompto.

“Ravus?”

“i assume you know why I'm calling.”

“Uuuuuh… no? Is this about Prompto?”

Noctis could only guess good or bad. 

“Yes. I have news of what he has decided to do.”

***************

“You sure about this, blondy? You won't have a house if you decide to come back.”

“I know. But, if I do come back, you'll let me crash at your place. Right?”

“Sure. Why not?”

Aranea looked around the home Prompto lived in. Anything he deemed valuable was packed up into three duffle bags. One for clothes, one for documents and other hard to part with items, and the last bag was for nonsense things and snacks. He had his trusty chocobo keychain on his belt, his wallet and phone in his pockets and any documentation he may need at the train station.

“Seriously kid. Last call. I can sell the place but I just want to be sure this is what you want.”

“Yeah. Besides, gotta fly away from the nest eventually. And I feel like, for the first time, I can actually stretch my legs and go wherever I want.”

Aranea gave a big pat on Prompto's back, pushing him forward. He jumped from the sudden Impact but smiled at the former commodore's affection. 

“I'll miss you the most, Aranea.”

“Weird but okay.”

“Don't get that waaay.”

Prompto gave her a hug, squeezing so she couldn't escape. She didn't try to but, rather, returned the gesture with her own little squeeze. In truth, she was going to miss him. But, as she thought about it, there was always the chance they could meet again someday.

“Well… I guess I better get going.”

“Don't wanna miss your train.”

“Yeah.”

Prompto threw his arms around Aranea one last time. He could remember when he had dreams of meeting the, then, commodore. She was and always will be the greatest dragoon of the skies. Her commanding yet comforting presence was of that of the mother figure Prompto had lost when he was a child. He couldn't be more grateful for her care.

She ruffled his hair and playfully shoved him toward the door. They both laughed, the blond stepping out of his home for the last time. This was it. It was time for him to travel. Never did the blond think he'd be traveling. Something he had been wanting to do since middle school. 

+++

He took a bus to get to the train station. Aranea gave him some gil for that so he didn't fret much over it. If he could have, he would've walked but, that wasn't the best option since the station he needed to get to was too far away. Had his train been departing by way of the Gralean station, he'd be closer.

The bus was fun though. Crowded but fun. There was some guy laughing at whatever his friend was telling him, a lady talking loud enough for everyone to hear (which was not a nice conversation), a dad with twin sons climbing all over him, and the best ones being anyone falling asleep. The way their heads would bobble or almost fall off their seat made the blond want to burst out laughing. 

However, the simplicities of the bus would soon come to an end. Now it was time to navigate the train station. Just because it looked open and wide, didn't mean it was any easier to get through. He looked everywhere for the building to get his bags checked. Everytime he went through a door, he came back out after being given the runaround.

“Prompto.”

“Huh? Ravus?”

Thankfully it was him. The white haired prince waited for the blond by a pillar, arms crossed and foot tapping as if he had been waiting long. Prompto did a quick jog despite lugging around three duffle bags. 

“What took you so long to get here?”

“Ah, well, you know. Buses. They're never on time, you know?”

“No I don't know. I'd never take such… public transportation.”

Prompto was already ignoring him. He pulled at a folded pamphlet in his pocket and showed it to ravus.

“I need to get here but no one will check my-”

“Just follow me.”

Ravus removed himself from the pillar and guided Prompto through the station. Where they were headed, he could see a beautiful, white dressed silhouette in front of an audience.

“Luna!”

“Quiet down! She's busy!”

Ravus quickly shushed Prompto who gave the taller man a pouty face. He rolled his eyes and set his duffle bags down beside him. The soft, powerful words of Lunafreya's prayer for safe travels echoed through his mind. The part about, “making lasting memories and strong friendships” sent him into a trance. He couldn't wait to meet Noctis. And hopefully, Noctis couldn't wait to meet him.

“Prompto?”

The blond shook his head, realizing the crowd had disbursed and Luna and Ravus were standing right before him, both of them with their hands on his shoulders. Luna's smile was so kind, Prompto couldn't help but feel invigorated.

“Your good deeds have been noticed. Not only by the people but by the gods as well. I offer you this blessing…”

Luna gently placed her forehead against Prompto's. His eyes widened and twinkled as a shimmering light glowed around them, earning another audience. It was a beautiful sight to behold even as it faded away. To receive a blessing from the Oracle herself…

“Safe travels Prompto. I know Noctis is so excited to meet you.”

“H-he is?”

Luna nodded happily. She seemed just as excited and nervous as the blond. Ravus gave Prompto a laminated luggage tag. It was to ensure the bags were checked and ready to go. Even though he didn't say it, he wished Prompto all the best on his journey. The forced smile and awkward elbow nudge gave it away.

“Safe travels Prompto.”

“You too, lady Lunafreya! And you too Ravus!”

The chiper blond gathered his bags and proceeded to the train car noted on his pamphlet. 

“Thanks for everything.”

“And thank you as well, Prompto.”

Luna and Ravus both waved to Prompto who followed with his farewell. He went up the steps, presented his pamphlet and officially boarded the train. There was no turning back. The doors closed, he settled into his seat by the window and watched as the bleak, muggy setting of Niflheim began to slowly slide away like a slideshow.

\-------------

The last meeting ensured everyone that, while Noctis was away, he would still be watching over every move made by the up and coming new council, communicating with everyone via phone calls and videos, and that Cor and Clarus would temporarily take on certain duties of the king in his absence. 

After all was settled in that four hour meeting, Noctis took one more nap. He wasn't having that strange dream anymore but he was dreaming of a place that was filled with smiles and laughter. It reminded him of the times he went fishing with his father when he was a child. Everyone around them was simply happy. Then, toward the end of the dream, he would swear he heard someone calling out to him. Not in pain but in anticipation. 

Noctis opened his eyes. Late into the day the sun still managed to break through into his room. He had a bag already packed meaning, Ignis had been in around at some point. No doubt, everything he needed was ready to go. 

After receiving Ravus's last call, Noctis had begun to think of the many ways everything could play out. Besides learning how to address the public, he was also learning how to confidently approach a single individual. Communicating wasn't something he was any good at but, he did his best to always seem approachable.

So with this meetup officially happening, the young king replayed his greeting over and over again. 

“Hi Prompto. I'm Noctis. Uh….. ….. king Noctis…. That's stupid.”

Noctis shook his internal thought and got out of bed. The royal raiments he wore earlier were hung up neatly on his closet door with a note. With that in sight, Noctis dragged himself out of bed and slugged his way to the other side of his room. 

“Hey Noct, Iggy told me to tell you your clothes have been cleaned, he likes cats, and we're ready to take off whenever you're good to go. -Gladio”

Blue eyes blinked in confusion. 

“Iggy likes cats? What?”

He crumpled up the note, attempted to blindly throw it into the trash can, missing of course, and began to dress himself. Every now and again he would stop and dramatically surrender to his failed attempts at greetings. One of the main issues was whether or not he should introduce himself as King Noctis. 

He wasn't ashamed of his title. There was no harm in saying it. But maybe he'd come off as snooty when he isn't. Everything about introducing himself as royalty would most likely make Prompto feel awkward or uncomfortable. That was something he would try to avoid.

Noctis stepped into his walk-in closet, looking into the mirror fixated to the very back. He sighed as he looked himself over. More than anything, he just wanted to be himself around Prompto. While writing to him, he felt like he could be. There was no worrying about titles and pomp and circumstances. It was two friends getting to know one another. 

This was it. There was nothing more he needed to do except grab his bag, pick up some lunch, then hop in his car with Ignis and Gladio. The drive was going to be long. Not to mention wait times. Then he'd still have to wait two days for the ferry. Two very, very long days. 

+++

“You're improving.”

“You think so? I was really tempted to call you to come help with the cape.”

Ignis approached Noctis as he walked over to his two friends waiting for him. Plus Iris. The advisor brushed off any particles of dust or lint that may have clinged to him at anytime. He smoothed out any tiny wrinkle and fixed the cuffs of the jacket to prevent a baggy, concealing look.

“Okay Mom. I'm sure I look fine now. Thanks.”

“Yeah Iggy. He's a big boy. He knows how to dress himself.”

Ignis glared at both of them.

“I've been looking after him since he was a small child. Am I to, all of a sudden, stop worrying about his well being?”

Noctis gave Gladio's shoulder a smack.

“Yeah Gladio. How dare you?”

“That's not what I meant.”

Iris joined in with her smack and jumping to Ignis's side. 

“Be nice to Iggy.” She proclaimed.

Noctis followed, both of them now hugging an arm. Gladio just snarled, taking the bag from Noctis and walking out to the car parked out by the steps leading to the main doors of the citadel.

“Hey Iggy? What did Gladio mean by you liking cats?”

“What?”

Ignis looked just as confused as Noctis had when he first read the note. As they questioned this written comment, they walked outside, stopping before the descent of the steps. Iris had finally let go of Ignis but was now hugging Noctis’s arm.

From that distance they watched as Gladio loaded the car with their individual bags as well as other things. Most likely camping gear. The big guy definitely liked his outdoor time.

The three at the steps finally came down to join the shield, Iris running to his side to help with the packing. 

“What did you mean by Ignis liking cats on the note?”

“He said he liked cats. We were talking about categorizing different proposals and plans by their importance and he said he liked cats with low maintenance.”

Ignis looked on in disbelief while Noctis and Iris eyed one another in confusion. 

“I was referring to low maintenance categories and my liking of them. It's quite normal for people or a person to use cat or cats when talking about categories.”

The shield and advisor went on for a bit about categories and short, quick ways to get a word across. All the while, Noctis gently pulled Iris aside to talk to her.

“Iris? Can I ask you something?”

She beamed with delight. 

“Sure Noct! Anything!”

“If you were meeting a new friend for the first time, how would you Introduce yourself?”

“Oh! Is this about Prompto.”

She whispered loudly in hopes her brother didn't hear. If he was asking away from them then he probably didn't want them to hear.

“Well… yeah. I just… I don't know if I should say, ‘Hi, I'm king Noctis’ or, ‘Hi, I'm Noctis.' I mean… what would you do or say?”

This was like an early birthday gift to Iris. Noctis was counting g on her advice to help him through this nerve wracking time.

“I say, be yourself. Just be you.”

“Me?”

“Yeah! Good ol’ Noctis. The pinball master and king of fishing!”

He thought on that for a good while because that's what he wanted. He wanted to be himself. Hearing the same thing from Iris was just confirmation of what he wanted.

“Besides. He sounds like he's cool like you!”

“Thank you Iris.”

“No problem your majesty!”

Noctis pulled her in for a friendly side hug, ruffling her hair.

“Hey. What have I told you?”

“I can just call you by your name or by master kweh Lord kupo!”

“Ha. Ha. Very funny.”

They made their way back to the two retainers all packed up and ready to go. Gladio patted the car like chocobo while Ignis made his way to the driver's seat. 

“Be good you guys!”

Iris hugged her brother then took a few hops away from the car. The three men were situated in the late king Regis's car, the Regalia. The roof was down as the day had been scheduled to be clear and sunny. 

With the turn of the key, the car was on engine purring with delight. Noctis took a deep breath as he had learn to do whenever he felt tense. He turned his attention up the stairs where Clarus and Cor had been watching over for quite some time. They both bowed in their King’s acknowledgement of their presence and as a send off.

The rest of his observation was of the citadel itself. He was coming back but, still, he felt as if he was truly on his own. It felt, in some small way, like he was saying goodbye to his father and letting go of the paint of the loss. This was something even his father would approve of. Not for politics or formalities, but for friendship and new experiences.

The car began to roll away, stopping at the gates that lead out into the city. It was all excruciatingly exciting but terrifying at the same time. There were knows in his stomach and fireworks in his head. Repeatedly, Noctis mumbled, “No turning back. No turning back. No turning back.” till eventually, he slouched into his seat and fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This would've been up last weekend but I was having technical difficulties with my tablet. But it's fixed now and I was able to finish this chapter! Yay! Will be starting the next chapter in the morning!


	20. Chapter 20

*******************

For the first part of his trip, Prompto was giddy. He was up and down every part of the train, in and out of seats, taking pictures of absolutely everything and anything that popped up in his line of sight, and ate about three times. With the money he had saved from work, he was able to purchase food vouchers to last him the two days it would take for him to get to Lucis.

No one bothered him much except when they greeted him or waved. Then again, he was everywhere. He didn't waste a moment on this sudden, last minute trip. A lot of the more seasoned riders found the young man's unhinged joy to be refreshing. Even the basic little radios spread out across the carts caught his attention.

Sure, he had seen plenty of radios but, not as old fashioned as the ones he was snapping pictures of. The sound quality was decent. Some static and plenty of stations but, no one was allowed to change them. Periodically, one of the attendants would pop in and make the switch, always having to seat the blond away so they could turn the dial.

That was fine though. Prompto was too much in awe to care about the annoyed expressions given to him. Once the station was changed, hed plop down on a seat and listened in for a while. Everytime that happened, he managed to fly through time.

The station wasn't the usual music and trivia giveaway specials. It was nothing but news around the world. The main topic being over the King's ruling over his former council committees. They apparently committed treason and not only raising taxes on their own citizens but also on imperials visiting or moving into Lucis.

They quoted him several times and each time, Prompto laughed to himself. It was hard to believe that was his long distance friend they were talking about. This down to Eos guy with insane high scores in pinball and a liking for fishing. And yet, the things he was saying were so mature and authoritative.

The first half of the hour long Lucis discussion ended with, “It's clear after further sentencing the majority of the former council to execution or life in prison, that the newly crowned king, Noctis Lucis Caelum, has begun to steady his legs and move forward into the next part of his royal journey.” The next part of the news started on Accordian cuisine and the magical effects on people.

Once the train stopped at Tenebrae, it was resting time. There wasn't much to do on the outskirts of the other-worldly country but, the sylleblossoms in the open fields were too beautiful not to take a picture.

There was one flower taller than all the rest, almost appearing to be leading them all. Probably to the train station or to flower heave. It was Noctis. And Noctis was being a good king to his people. So Prompto assumed but believed he wasn't a big time asshole. 

The blond took a knee, taking aim of the tall flower. 

“How am I even sure this guy is legit? For all I know, he's some old guy or something. I dunno. What do you think?”

His piercing blue eyes stared at the sylleblossom till no answer was given. A small bend to the stem tilted the flower at just the right position for the blond to take a picture. Slowly, he lowered his camera and gazed at the flowers once more. 

“Yeah… I know he's real too…”

A quick little grin and he popped right back up into a standing position. He continued to adventure around, more pictures piling up on his camera's memory card, and at least one flower picked. For good luck.

\-------------------------------

The checkpoint leading into Leide wasn't as packed as they anticipated. Gladio, with one of his many books in the back, read through five whole chapters, undisturbed. Noctis, after a while, began to yawn a lot. He was falling asleep slowly but surely till he could no longer keep himself up any longer. His head rested back on the headrest of his seat as he fixed off. With one man asleep and the other reading, Ignis was thankful to have a quiet drive.

But once they hit the checkpoint, both men had to wake up. Noctis rubbed his eyes, noticing the amount of security forming around his father's car. Their presence was sure to draw in a crowd so half of the glaives were stationed their for when the king arrived. Ignis made a stop at one of the booths, waiting for the glaives to walk up and make sure no further assistance was needed. 

“Ulric?”

Gladio beamed, sitting up and pounding fists with Nyx Ulric. The young king, on the other hand, was still very groggy, mentally questioning the situation. What could be so important that his father's glaives were around?

“Got sent over here, huh?” Gladio pulled his hand back to himself to help support his body already halfway out of the car.

“Yeah. It's protocol for whenever his majesty is traveling. Just like it's protocol for four of us to shadow him during his journey.”

“Cool deal. So do we need to get out of the car?”

Gladio looked over at his king, really struggling to wake up. He turned back to Nyx who just shook his head in response to Gladio's question. 

“Nah. You're good. You can drive forward to the next booth, Ignis.”

They parted from Nyx and were soon met with the last of security. Noctis was finally up, still a tad hazy but much more responsive. He held a quick discussion with the glaives that approached the vehicle. As he looked around, he finally realized that the glaives were now under his command and that they're following protocol. 

With everything settled, the king and his retainers continued their drive. It was simple from that point on. There was nothing but open road, untouched land, and a vast, blue sky. The scenery was truly breathtaking. Noctis immediately thought of how Prompto could probably take the perfect picture of the world he was now faced with. 

Except for the dry heat. Leide was hot. Did even rain in a place like this? The young king, in full regret of wearing his royal attire, slouched in his seat, earning a look of concern from Ignis. 

“Your majesty? Is everything ok?”

Gladio leaned in, also making sure Noctis was ok. 

“I'm fine. Just hot.”

The shield in the back chuckled, reaching over and ruffling Noctis’ hair into a mess.

“What did you expect?”

“A heads up.”

Ignis let out his own chuckle in response to everything being said. He interjected before the two dragged on any further.

“Gladio packed water. I'm sure he's all but happy to get one for us.”

“Yeah, sure.” 

Gladio began fiddling for three water bottles. Ignis and Noctis went back to their respective activities of driving and admiring the landscapes. The young king's thoughts immediately returned to Prompto. 

Would he be as he seemed in his letters? What if his station as a king scared him away? He'd be nervous if it were the other way around. Though, knowing how influential Prompto must be in his country, things would probably get awkward. No, things would be awkward, regardless. Two strangers meeting for the first time, only knowing one another through written words. How could that not get weird?

A disastrous wave of doubt swept through Noctis. Anything could happen. He might not even show up in two days at Galdin Quay. 

“You falling asleep again?”

Noctis turned to see Gladio nudging him with a cold bottle of water.

“If he's falling asleep then leave him be.”

“You know he shouldn't be napping too much during the day. This is why he doesn't sleep at night.”

“I disagree. He is perfectly capable of sleeping whenever, wherever. A few naps during the day changes nothing.”

“Yes it does. Remember that call you got from his school about him needing more sleep at night?”

“What did they know? He fell asleep once during a lecture and they automatically assume it's because of lack of sleep? Dare I say. It's because of their inability to teach without sounding monotonous.”

They kept at it. As badly as Noctis wanted to cut in, he didn't. It allowed him to return to his though. Now, they were surprisingly positive. He couldn't wait to take Prompto to a Crow’s Nest Diner. He hadn't been to one in a long time but he was certain nothing had changed.

Hopefully they still had Justice Monsters. His plan was to challenge Prompto to see who could get the higher score. Maybe they could go fishing while they were in Galdin. There was so much to show and introduce Prompto to.

Excitement swelled up inside him. So much so, he was drifting back to sleep all while Ignis and Gladio continued on their parenting discussion. 

****************************

The blond almost missed the train. Not because he was too far from the station. No. It was because he dozed off on a bench at the station. He had heard the voice of an attendant or maybe the conductor announcing the departure time. But did that urge him to wake up? Nope. 

What really did it was a child crying. Loudly. The blond jumped from his slanted seated position and shook his head. He choked on the dryness of his throat, coughing and patting his chest to get through the scratchiness. Once he was up to his feet, he looked to wherever the crying was. 

The child looked to be six or seven. Dirty blond hair messily grew on his head and his green eyes watery from excessive crying. Prompto, letting a quick yawn out, kneeled down next to the child to grab his attention. He was a cute little child. Prompto was definitely envious of his awesome, yellow chocobo shirt. Torn up jeans, blue sneakers and a brown cap that read Wiz Chocobo Post.

“Hey little guy? What's wrong? Where are your parents?”

“M-my mommy *hick* my mommy is- is on the train.”

“On the train?”

Finally it hit him. He swooped up the child into his arms, hoping he didn't just scare him half to death. It was like a time quest in a video game. He had so many seconds left. He ran as fast as he could with the extra weight in his arms. There was definitely a moment of almost tripping. 

Prompto quickly jumped on to the first step leading into the cart he was rooming on. The sudden impact of his feet on the step caused the attendant to turn abruptly and meet face to face with two blonds.

“Cutting it close, don't you think?”

“Yeeaah~ my bad. . Can we get in? Please?”

“Ticket?”

Prompto put the child down who then clinged to the older blond's shirt. A ticket was pulled from a front pocket and presented to the attendant. He gave it a quick glance before returning it to it's owner and sticking his hand out toward the kid.

“And yours, young man?”

More tears welled up in his eyes.the child began crying once more alarming both the attendant and Prompto.

“Well, you see, his mom is on the train. He might've accidentally been left behind or gotten lost.”

The attendant, though partially annoyed, showed concern and turned behind him to speak into the intercom. He described the child and explained his situation. It only took a mere second for a woman's panicking voice to be heard.

“My son! Where is he!?!”

The little boy and mother embraced one another, people behind them clapping and rejoicing.

“Thank you, sir!”

The attendant pointed his thumb to Prompto.

“Thank him.”

She met with Prompto, shook his hand while her son hugged his hip.

“Thank you so much!”

“Yeah! Thank you! We found mommy!”

“D'awww you guys! It was no problem!”

They were all smiles as they parted to their respective carts. This trip was definitely eventful, that's for sure.

+++

And then it wasn't. Prompto looked out the window and took note of the empty land that kept passing by. When they first entered the area, he took pictures. It was difficult since he was in a moving train but he made it work. The formation of the land was neat. He was certain they were passing through dry lands and the roads that were paved along the way were pretty empty.

Did people even live out there? Prompto lowered his head on to his crossed arms. The barkeep and bartender didn't seem to mind. They were probably used to seeing the joy in first time passengers get sucked out of them as they ran through Cartanica. It was definitely nothing like the majesty of Tenebrae.

Eventually, he ordered a meal and began looking through the pictures on his camera. Trees, flowers, animals, people- anything he could take a picture of so far he did. He even managed to take a perfectly angled selfie when he first entered the train. The first meal he ate, his room that Ravus magically had arranged just for him, and also a sign that read ‘Keep Out’ but with someone's random cactuar drawing.

His food was placed in front of him. Eight nuggets, peas, mashed potatoes, a cookie, and a glass of milk. Nothing fancy. Just the typical microwaveable meal. Prompto ate while deleting pictures that were too blurry or accidentals because he tripped, moved away too suddenly, or stumbled. 

Even with that, the blond was growing more bored. He finished his meal, took his camera with him to the lodging area, and finally took a good look at the small room he would be staying in. A nice sized window let in plenty of the late afternoon sun. The bunk beds were decent in terms of comfort, and the space was indeed small. 

The blond made it work though. His bags stayed on the top bunk and he slept on the bottom. The rooms had locks so he didn't have too big of a fear of someone stealing them. Prompto sat on the, semi thin, mattress, giving it a good bounce. Hopefully he'd remember not to toss and turn so much. Assuming he gets any sleep. 

Now that he had isolated himself from the wonders of the train, he began to think about the meet up. His hand took a gentle hold of Boco, clipped onto his belt. His little, plush chocobo keychain tend to make him feel calm and relaxed. There was no telling how this could go but, at least he was finally out of Niflheim. 

“Man, Boco, what if he doesn't like me?”

Prompto threw himself down, his head hitting the not so plush pillow. The sudden realization of being in a tiny room with unfamiliar bedding and settings began to overtake the blond. He definitely missed the comforts of his childhood home.

“Homesick… guess this is what that feels like…”

For whatever was left of his day, he would try to sleep. Day one wasn't so bad. Hopefully they'd be out of Cartanica in the morning.

\-----------------------------------

“Reggie was a heavy sleeper too.”

A raspy yet muffled sounding voice penetrated the ears of a sleeping king. Noctis shifted in his seat, resting his head against his arm on the car door. He didn't feel the rush of the wind as he did earlier nor did he hear the radio. In fact, with the exception of the voice, he didn't hear much of anything. 

Logically thinking, Noctis didn't bother opening his eyes. Instead, he stayed sleeping. If anything happened then Ignis and Gladio were probably already on it. 

“I know how to wake him.”

Again, that voice. Noctis hummed in a questioning way.

“Wake who?” He thought. 

There was now a shuffling sound as well as a couple of clicks and then… the dreaded car horn. The young king flinched and twitched like a scaredy cat. His ears were ringing and his eyes opened wide. Doing his best to regain his composure, he turned to the drivers seat beside him and took notice of an older man. Scruffy beard, cap, and low murmuring noises. 

“Igni- wait… you're not Ignis.”

At the point the older man was already out of the car and Gladio was leaned up against the passenger Noctis was asleep on, laughing his ass off. Ignis? Well he did his best to suppress his chuckling. Noctis pushed open the door, causing Gladio to move away, still in tears over his king's reaction. 

“You even react like your father. Same wide eyed expression and everything.”

“I'm sorry but do I know you?”

Ignis cut in hoping to avoid any crude language from Noctis. While he was definitely maturing and understanding his position, he was still a first teenager. Or, more appropriately, a young adult. So putting in a word before the young king was best.

“He's a friend of your father's. Cid Sophiar. If I recall past conversation with your father, the last time the two of you met, you were only one years old.”

“Have his damn memory too.”

The old man seemed snappy. All Noctis could think was, 'Sorry I'm my father's son?’ He did his best to regain focus and questioned the current scene.

“Where are we anyways?”

“This is Hammerhead Garage!”

A young female popped up from the opposite side of the car with a tube of an air compressor in her hand. She had a nice smile… short shorts. Short everything. Also an accent or a dialect he'd never really heard before. Different from Iggy's. But she seemed nice.

“Don't mind paw-paw. Why don't you come on out so I can finish up maintenancing your vehicle!”

Bright smile. Noctis couldn't help but remove himself from the car and join the others. As he observed, he noticed the Regalia sitting a bit too low on one side. He turned to Ignis who began to explain.

“The tire went flat just as we turned. Over there.”

He pointed to a turn in the road that was, most likely, the way to Galdin. There wasn't that many cars on the road. Though, when Noctis turned back to the garage, their were definitely plenty of people around waiting on repairs and getting a bite to eat. 

Getting something to eat seemed like a good idea. 

“Did Cindy give you your total yet?”

Noctis looked at the mechanic, tuning out the world as she excitedly took a look at the Regalia. He shook his head with a faint shrug of his shoulders. 

“Cindy patched up the tire but you'll need to get that replaced soon.”

“But if it's patched-”

“Didn't your father teach you anything about this car? It's not your run-of-the-mill cruiser. She's a classic. One of a kind. You'll need to take it back. We don't have the kind of tires it needs here.”

The young king was speechless at the moment but he wasn't about to turn tail to Ignis and let him handle this. And forget Gladio. He was already chatting up a storm with other clients of the garage. No. This, he was certain he could handle.

“Look uh… Cid. We're sorry for the inconvenience. Had I known the tires were worn out or whatever, I would've had them changed. My dad didn't tell me the specifics of the car nor did he have the time.”

At this point they were both glaring at one another. From where Ignis stood, making cost conversation with Cindy, he peeked over his shoulder to see the tension. The advisor looked around till he found Gladio talking with a couple of guys, hopefully getting some useful information.

It took waving his arms, whistling, and finally sending him a text to catch his attention. The big guy jogged over after viewing the message. 

“Find out anything useful?”

“Yeah. There's a diner, that convenient store over there, and, that trailer over there, is where we can stay for the night. There's also an inn down the road on the way to Galdin.”

“No. We'll stay here for the night. It's late in the day. And Noct…”

Noctis had walked away as Cid did. Somehow, they got off to a bad start but now wasn't the time to try to fix it.Cindy came back around as everyone went quiet in their conversations. She watched as the young king made his way back to his retainers.

“Hey… so… what do we owe you, Cindy?”

“It's not much. But if you'd like any tune ups, maybe a wheel alignment, or some decals applied from the shop, I'd be happy to do so.”

Noctis gave a good look at his father's car. Cid was a friend of his father. Maybe their sudden appearance on his turf was a lot to take in. Was he even aware of his passing. 

He shook his head softly at Cindy.

“No, but thank you. And thank you for fixing the tire.”

“No problem! It's a real treat to work on royalty!” And by that, she definitely meant the car. She beamd everytime she looked at it.

“You know what…”

The other three tuned in as Noctis paused in the middle of his sentence. 

“I'll leave the Regalia in your hands. Just… don't go too crazy.”

“Really? Are you sure?”

“I'm sure.”

“Thank you! I'll have the old girl running like a courel!”

Noctis only nodded his head, uncertain of how to feel about Cindy's statement. But he had a feeling he could trust her so he left her to enjoy her time with the Regalia. Ignis and Gladio walked with him as he took off toward the diner.

Takka's Pit Stop. Gladio had informed Noctis of what was offered there based on what he heard from the local clients. The menu sounded promising though, Noctis wasn't an adventuress eater like his retainers.

Still, it was something different from the usual, royally selected cuisine of the citadel. Noctis could only hope nothing on that menu had beans. His, 'allergy to beans’ excuse didn't work at home but it could work with strangers. So he hoped.

As he walked past the windows of the store, a disposable camera caught his eye. Without warning, the young king sharply turned on his heel and walked in, heading for the different types of cameras. There was a two pack, a water proof one, a rugged camera, and a bundle that had a camera, extra film, and a strap to keep it to the wrist.

Ignis caught up to his king, stopping behind him so as to not break his concentration. But the young man turned to his advisor.

“Would it be insulting if I bought one of these for Prompto?”

“I don't believe so…”

“It's just… he takes really good pictures and, I know disposable cameras don't give the same quality as digital stuff.”

“It's the thought that counts. I think, as good as his pictures seem, he could probably take decent photographs with one of those cameras.”

“Yeah. You're right… thanks Iggy.”

“No problem, Noct.”

Ignis gave him a pat on the back. He took the rugged camera and purchased it for twenty gil. The price seemed too high for something disposable. It was definitely something he'd look into when he'd return home. Why did it seem like the lucians outside the city were… deprived?

He thoughts returned to the camera. It be a welcome gift to his long distance friend. He'd arrive after tomorrow. As a king, he hoped that his country's environments were inviting to his imperial pen pal. As a young man, he hoped they could build a solid friendship, even when Prompto had to go back.

Noctis and Ignis walked out of the store, resuming their walk to the diner where Gladio was waiting for them. 

“Are you ok with sleeping in the trailer tonight?”

“Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?”

“Just asking.”

Noctis didn't respond afterwards but he knew something was on his advisor's mind. It was rare when Ignis didn't engage a situation with confidence.

“C'mon Ignis. What's really on your mind?”

“I was merely thinking to myself. But… I would hate for you to leave tension behind as we go to Galdin tomorrow. This about your meeting up with Prompto, I know…”

“Nah. I get it. I was actually thinking of talking with him in the morning. I'm don't think there's any point in doing so now. Especially on empty stomachs.

“oh… But of course. You're a real grouch when you're hungry.”

“Hey! Says that guy that's 'dying’ if he doesn't have his daily dosage of coffee. Then you become moody.”

“I do not.”

They shoved each other's elbows into one another, finally bending up at Takka's Pit Stop. Noctis happily ate a veggie free meal. During their time there, they talked with Takka himself, exchanging recipes with Ignis and getting an idea of the lands of Leide.

Sometimes Cindy popped in, updating the guys on the car and the adjustments she's made. They were becoming fast friends with the genius mechanic, having harmless drinks and a plate of hand cut fries together. She talked about “paw-paw” Cid and the founding of the garage.

From what Noctis gathered, he was more close to his father than he thought. All the more reason to try to make conversation with her I'm tomorrow.

Then the subject of why they were out in the middle of nowhere came up. Noctis always found himself laughing at himself when anything Prompto and pen pal related came up. He became talkative and excited. 

He was always acquainted with people at school but never close enough to be friends. Being in a public school and everyone knowing he was a prince always created barriers and awkward atmospheres. But not this time.

Noctis, the more he thought about the next days to come, became nervous.

The wait was almost over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do, I'm trying to redeem myself for the way I handled the council! So I threw in a little something for that! And, other than that, I'm just gonna say we're almost there! Next chapter, y'all! This is it !  
> :D and enjoy your holidays! Be safe, have fun, be happy!


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooookay! So, stuff happened from the end of last month to this month which kept me preoccupied! So I'm sorry for putting this up one month later!

******

It must've happened in a matter of seconds. No warning whatsoever. Prompto had left his room early in the morning. He was hoping to get breakfast, even if that meant another microwaved concoction. But, as he stepped out and looked out the large windows in front of him, he noticed that the abandoned land of Cartanica was no more.

Day two was officially starting over the vast Cygillan ocean. The blue of the water was mesmerizing. The way the waves clashed onto big formations of land yet, calmly rocked the fishing boats scattered about. This was definitely like nothing he'd ever seen in Niflheim. Pictures had nothing on the real thing. 

The ocean was so powerful, the blond didn't bother with breakfast nor did he pick up his camera hanging around his neck on a chocobo strap. He gazed out into the vastness of the sea, lost in it's deep blue waves. At some point, he swore the sea and sky were connected as they were both so clear. It was endless. A wonderful kind of endless that he let himself get lost in. 

For at least an hour, Prompto stayed by the window. He hadn't noticed the blue skies suddenly turning gray. The sun no longer reflected off the shiny, blue water but small little droplets began to attach themselves onto the window. As they came down more frequently and harder, the blond shook out of his admiration for the ocean and backed away from the window. 

Every once in a while, a flash of lightning and clap of thunder would play out, earning cries from younger children and adults speaking of the unexpected weather. Prompto did his best to listen in on the conversations until he eventually made his way back to the dining cart. There was a radio on, thankfully, on a station most likely being broadcasted from Accordo.

There were several thunderstorm warnings in effect with potential shutdowns at the ports. Including the ferry taking him to Galdin Quay. Prompto grew uncomfortably nervous. His stomach churned, mind wandering off to negativity land. What if he doesn't get to meet his pen pal? What if he can never leave Altissia? How was he ever going to get there if the weather was this severe? 

Prompto looked out the window, though he soon came to regret that decision. The waves looked like they would devour even the biggest rock formations out there. The fishing boats were everywhere. Squinting, the blond could see sailors and fishermen alike, scurrying about on their boats, just trying to get back to land.

The morning was starting to suck. If this was the case the, then he wished he was back in dry, old Cartanica.

+++

The rain had calmed down to a more steady fall. The last four hours were tough on the blond's mind. He held his chocobo keychain at several points like it was some sort if emotional support thing. He was so close now. Why did the weather have to change and ruin everything?

Prompto made it through customs. Soaking wet from walking in the rain, but he made it. He had a legitimate passport and found that he had enough money to stay at a hotel if he needed to do so. The rest of the day was supposed to be dedicated to boarding the ferry and landing at Galdin Quay. Right now, though, it wasn't looking to turn out as planned.

So for now, he went up to a tourist/informational booth and looked at the pamphlets.

“Hi there, mister!”

Prompto jumped, surprised to see a person inside the booth. He mustered up the best smile he could manage after being spooked.

“Need a tour, son?”

“No. Not really. I'm just waiting to see if the ferry will be departing soon or not.”

“Gotcha, gotcha! Here. Take this! It's a map of Altissia. Tourists tend to get lost their first times here.”

“Oh. Well, thank you. Uh, hey, um, could I, by some chance, get a picture if you in this booth?”

“Sure thing kid!”

Prompto, to calm himself from what may happen, began to take pictures. First the man in the booth, then a container of white and yellow daisies, sparkling merchandise from a merchant that gave him a vintage looking chocobo brooch for free,and then came, “The Adventures of Boco the Chocobo” on the bridge, on a table, some steps, a pier, and a gelato stand.

He did end up getting lost, got directions, tried following the map but was still lost. Somehow, he ended up on a gondola headed to a place called Maagho. A restaurant floating about on the water and said to have some good food. The closer he got, the more it looked too nice. Too fancy. Which, in turn, probably meant it wasn't cheap. 

Finally at his destination, he popped off, receiving a few stares from the locals. He was dressed pretty normal compared to the suits and dresses he saw on everyone. He had a pair of black jeans, black combat boots with yellow laces, a black tank top, and a couple of wrist bands on his wrists. As well as Boco too, of course. 

“Hello there.”

A deep but beaming voice caught the blond’s attention. He looked toward the island counter in the middle where an older, but not too old, man was standing. He was well groomed, tall, and clearly, the owner of the establishment. 

“Hi.”

“Come on over and get yourself settled.”

“Sure thing.”

Prompto smiled at the hospitality and made his way to a stool in front of the owner. Looking around, the setting and arrangements were beautiful. The blond ended up pulling up his camera and taking a picture if a wine rack behind the counter.

“I see you're a photographer.”

“Oh. Not really. I mean, I love taking pictures but I'm not a professional or anything. Not yet anyways.”

“Not yet, huh? It's always good to pursue your passions and further your knowledge in such. Do you plan on attending a school for your interest in photography?”

“I'd like to. Over in Lucis. I'll be headed over if the ferry gets to travel today.”

A menu was placed in front of the blond as he contemplated on his last sentence. His look of concern had the man set a glass of water in front of him.

“I don't see why the ferry wouldn't travel.”

“I don't know… the waves looked pretty mean.”

“If they were, I would've closed up for the day and made sure this little bistro was boarded up. And that's only happened three times since I've been here.”

That sort of made Prompto feel at ease. Not by much but, definitely better than a few minutes ago. This guy was pretty nice. The blond finally looked at the menu, reading words he had never seen before. The descriptions helped. He wouldn't mind a nice seafood dish. 

“Oh… wow.”

“Something the matter.”

“No. Not at all!”

The prices were… expensive. For sure, the blond didn't have money to pay for a meal like that. He had to save what he physically was able to bring with him for his time in Lucis. A meal here would make a decent dent on his budget.

But the man before him wasn't fooled and knew it was everything to do with the prices. He had seen many young men and women, up and coming, trying to get by. It was always a given to help them out.

For a while, Prompto just sat, quietly. He drank his water, took a couple of snaps of the nice restaurant on the water, then checked his phone for the time. There was no need to rush just yet, but knowing how to get to the port so he wouldn't miss the ferry would be even more settling for him.

He put his attention to the man he had been speaking with. It had just dawned on the blond how different he seemed compared to everyone else. It was his dark skin or his height. Not his clothes or posture. What stood out the mist was the way he spoke. How he carried himself. He also didn't have a weird accent like the rest of the local Altissians. His voice carried more of a regal tone rather than a snob.

“Uh… sir. I'm sorry. Now that I think about it. I never got your name.”

Prompto tilted his head, nervous laughter and feeling rude erupting from his expression. The older gentleman, was back at his spot before the blond, announcing himself.

“I never got your name as well.”

“Yeah. I'm Prompto.”

“Prompto. I'm Weskham Armaugh. And this-” Weskham presented the area of the restaurant to the blond who took in the surroundings as he did so. “Is Maagho.”

“Do you own this place?”

“Yes I do.”

“But you're not from here or am I one hundred percent wrong?”

The blond grinned but so too did Weskham.

“Hmm. How did you guess?”

“You don't sound like the locals from here.”

“That's could be because I'm from Lucis.”

“Y-you… you are?” Prompto's eyes widened as the word, Lucis, came up. 

Was he really from the same place as his long distance buddy? He wondered, though it was a long shot, if Weskham knew Noctis.

“Yes I am. Keykatrich, if we're being specific. How about you, young man? Where have you come traveling from?”

“Uh… “ The blond looked around carefully. “I'm from Niflheim.”

“Ah. The empire. I haven't been over there in years.”

“Wait… you went voluntarily? To Niflheim? Most boring empire on Eos?”

Weskham chuckled. “Contrary to what anyone might say, I quite enjoyed the experience. Every place has its own unique setting. Wouldn't you say?”

“Well… … … yeah.”

Prompto slumped in his seat, his eyes scanning the menu once more. The man had a point. It didn't make Niflheim less bleak in appearance, but it had a few little quirks.

“Here we are. Eat up. If I recall the schedule for the ferry correctly, you'll need to head back soon.”

Weskham presented a plate of wood smoked sea bass and an extra glass of water to Prompto. The blond didn't order anything. At least, not that he could recall. But, judging by the softened look on Weskham's face, he could tell this one was on the house.

“Thank you…”

Prompto ate his meal in silence. Weskham was tending to other customers so, for the time being, the blond ate as much as he could. The fish was filling for sure. He checked the time, once more, on his phone. 

“Weskham? Sir?”

Prompto waved down the older man he made it over quite quickly. He retrieved the empty plate and glass, waiting to hear from the young man.

“First of all, I greatly, greatly, greatly appreciate this meal.”

“Anytime, son.”

“And, second… Uh… How do I get back to where the ferry is?”

“Just ask that kind man on the gondola to take you. He should be able to get you back on time.”

“Okay. Thanks. Thank you for everything.”

“Don't mention it, Prompto. Just spread the word about Maagho. That's all I require.”

“Sure! Will do!”

The blond removed himself from his seat, waved good-bye to Weskham and was back on the gondola.

After requesting to be taken back to the ports, Prompto felt himself grow optimistic. He knew that ferry was going to take off today and that he was definitely going to meet Noctis. If meeting a Lucian here in Accordo wasn't a big enough sign then the blond didn't know what could be.

\------------

Gladio and Ignis weren't in the camper. That's what Gladio called it. Ignis kept calling it Gladio's closet. Considering all the camping gear that guy kept in his closet, it was an accurate description of the place. Noctis was on the only bed, stretching and then curling under the warm fleece blanket.

However, ten seconds after doing so, the heat started to bother him. His only guess was the AC didn't work. The young king tossed the blanket aside, landing in a perfect pile on the floor. As much as he really wanted to sleep, he needed to find out how his car was doing and when they could take off.

And also to talk with Cid. Noctis didn't want to just up and leave. Considering how the old man was, the setting was rather hospitable. He would thank him and maybe ask about him and his father. If they knew one another, why was he not at the funeral? Was he even called or told in some way about it?

Either way, he wanted the air to be cleared. Noctis dressed himself, being the most casual he could be. There was nothing like a good pair of jeans and a t-shirt. His feet slid into no-lace shoes comfortably with plenty of wiggle room for his toes. Once he finished clothing himself, Noctis took his cape into his hands and walked out of the camper.

Since there was some cloud coverage, he wasn't immediately blinded by the sun. Gladio was to his right, sitting on a white plastic chair and a spray bottle in his hands. Ignis had two bottles and, judging by the look on his face, was on his phone keeping updated on current affairs back at the citadel.

“Morning guys.”

Gladio and Ignis both turned, waving and nodding at their groggy looking king.

“Sup, Noct.”

“Good morning your majesty.”

Noctis was approached by his advisor who handed him one of the spray bottles. Upon closer inspection, it came with a miniature fan powered by a standard double a battery. 

“You'll need it for the dry heat. Cindy gifted us with a few.”

“Speaking of Cindy. Is she up yet that you know of?”

Gladio also joined the conversation, handing Noctis a yellow paper and a pen.

“Yeah. She's been waiting for your lazy ass to wake up.”

“Royal. That's royal lazy ass to you. What's this?”

Noctis read the cursive writing on what seem to be a receipt. There was a summary about the tire and what was required to fix it, plus labor. Because the car was what it was, it seemed the total for such a simple repair went up. He had a few different options to choose from in terms of payment. For now, the young king chose to have the bill sent back home. 

Signing it rather messily, the young king looked around till he spotted the mechanic. She seemed busy waxing the car, hopefully that being a sign that she had it ready.

“Okay then. You guys get breakfast. I'll go over and give this to Cindy.”

Ignis gave a small bow toward Noctis. As did Gladio. But the advisor also looked over his charge with a look of reminder.

“I'm going to talk with Cid too. No worries.”

With a soft grunt, Ignis went his way, toward the little convenient store in front of the gas pumps. Gladio gave a big pat on Noctis’ back, causing him to lose his footing.

“Go get em champ.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Gladio sat back down, picking up a sporting magazine he, no doubt, bought for an outrageous price. Noctis walked off, heading to his car and Cindy. He was halfway there when he noticed Cid in the garage tinkering with things he had laying around. 

Noctis came to a stop, contemplating on who to talk to first. It didn't take no more than a second to get moving to Cid. If that didn't go well, he could always end this pit stop on a lighter note with Cindy.

He wondered if Cid had noticed him. Once Noctis picked his head back up, the old man was looking right at him, arms crossed. 

“Cindy's your girl to speak to about your car.”

“I figured. But I wanted to talk to you.”

“About what?”

The young king sighed, halting before stepping foot into the garage. He didn't storm in or walk in more than he should. It was one step and done. 

There were a million new things swarming into his mind at the moment. Questions. All kinds of questions. He knew he had to be giving off an unsure expression but Cid said nothing. With that, Noctis decided to speak.. Anything but silence. However, Cid beat him to it.

“Your father had that same unsteady look about his face, same one you got on. He wasn't always the cool, confident cat you saw him as.”

“Yeah…”

“See? Same slack in that body!”

Cid walked up to Noctis and gave his back a good smack. The young king jerked up straight, rubbing the spot that was just attacked by Cid.

“That's better. Pretty sure your father wouldn't want you looking like a slob.”

“Probably not. But… my dad. I know you knew him.”

“I didn't just know him, boy. He was a constant visitors. Always, wrecking his car! Hell! He managed to pop three of those damn tires on a clean road. No nails, glass, nothing! Straight up burned em up!”

“That doesn't sound like him.”

“I told you. He wasn't as you knew him. Always wreckin something!”

“If he was more than an acquaintance, how come we never saw you around?”

Cid was back around his tool boxes, sitting himself on a stack of tires just tall enough for him not to bend his back or knees much. He took a picture from a shelf close to him and looked at it. Setting it down, Noctis was able to see the image of his father, the marshall, Clarus, another man he didn't recognize and the last being Cid. 

“We went our separate ways. Life happens. He had a kingdom to run and I had this garage. Didn't stop us from writing a few letters every now and again.”

“Really?”

“He had a passion for it. Not me. Didn't like it much but, your father was my friend. I'd pick up a phone and talk to him if he wanted. Lucky me he never asked.”

Cid chuckled to himself. He went quiet for a bit. The previous tension from yesterday was blown away. There was so much that the young king wanted to ask but he had to get going soon. 

“Did you know that he… well, he passed away?”

“I knew, over the radio, like everybody else. Before that, in his last letter,he let me have it. All of his fondest memories, his regrets, and his proudest accomplishment. That being you.”

“Had I known about you and him I would have- ”

“Bah! Don't say it. Not being there may be a regret I live with for the rest of my life. But the friendship… now that leaves a stronger, lasting impression.”

Noctis slipped an understanding smile. If he knew Cid well enough, so far, he might make fun of him had he let any ears fall. Like Gladio does. All in good fun though but still.

“Thank you for this.”

“For what?”

“This talk. You, my father. It kind of helps with another matter of mine.”

“Your pen pal you mean?”

All Noctis could think in his mind was how many people his father probably told about his pen pal. The more he wondered the more he asked this about Ignis.

“Yeah.”

“Just like you father. Like going back in time, I tell you!”

The moment ended on a good note. When the conversation ended with Cid lecturing him on the importance of keeping the Regalia's maintenance up to date, Noctis made his way to Cindy.

She gave him a thumbs up, not speaking. She finished waxing the car, which, to Noctis’ surprise, was insanely shiny and clean. The Regalia looked as if it were brand new. Cindy had done an amazing job. And who knows what else she did.

Cindy tossed a dirty rag over her tool box, landing perfectly despite not looking. At the same time, Gladio and Ignis joined the two, taking inventory of everything they brought and bought so far.

“Well, geez y'all. Not like it's gonna take a week to get to Qualdin.”

Gladio chuckled. Ignis pushed his glasses up, readjusting it's position. It seemed he was ready to give a speech on the importance of keeping track and being prepared for anything and everything. But Noctis was used to those talks and didn't feel Cindy needed to be submitted to such.

“Oh. Here you go, Cindy.”

Just before his advisor could utter a sound, Noctis pulled out the signed receipt and handed over to the blonde mechanic. Delightfully, she took it, reading over the payment option chosen.

“Highness, the cactuar have better signatures than this.”

Cindy smiled with a hint of a giggle in her sentence. Noctis, fully aware of how awful his writing, rolled his eyes and laughed in spite of himself. The two shook hands, sealing the deal on Cindy's work. A few tweaks here and there, wheel alignment, tire rotations, and an oil change that Noctis didn't know the car needed, were all a part of the “package deal” Cindy put together.

And of course, it wasn't cheap. But this wouldn't happen often do Noctis just accepted it.

“Have a nice trip your highness.”

“Yeah. Will do. Hope you, uh… get lots of broken down cars to fix.”

Cindy, Gladio, and Ignis chuckled. Noctis in his embarrassment, turned his attention toward the garage. Cid shook his head with a half formed smile. He returned to his tinkering and Noctis returned to the Regalia with his retainers.

It was time to get back on the road and, from what he understood, Galdin Quay wasn't too far. If all went well, he would be meeting Prompto pretty soon. The young king settled in the passenger's seat, wandering eyes trailing off into the open road of Leide. With a slow motion of his hand, he lifted the spray bottle fan to his face and sprayed. 

Noctis hoped it wouldn't be so dry at Galdin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, what I had planned to do was make this the last chapter! But this isn't! So there's one last chapter after this unless I plan otherwise! The last chapter will be posted no later than mid February since I'm already working on it! :) Either way, I hope y'all enjoy!


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At long last! My longest chapter, I do believe. Anyways, Thank you for your patience! Enjoy!

\--------------

“My father used to write letters too.”

Noctis's voice had trailed off but he was heard all the same. Gladio leaned forward to hear better and Ignis did a quick turn of his head to see Noctis gazing off into the distant. He didn't look sad but, rather, nostalgic. 

Noctis sighed, his arm resting on the passenger side door. Inside, he felt nervous and excited. It was like going to public school for the first time or, attending his first fancy party with his dad. What was he to expect, not of Prompto, but of himself?

A big hand tapped his arm, causing him to turn around. 

“You thinking out loud?”

“Oh. Yeah. Guess I was.”

Ignis interjected, glancing over at the two of them as he drove. It finally occurred to Noctis that he was thinking out loud. He did tend to do that when he was sleepy.

“The morning was long. Perhaps our trip is leaving you weary, your majesty?”

“Nah.”

Noctis sat up straight from his slouched position and twisted himself so he was facing Ignis. His head was free to turn, stress free, to converse with Gladio in the back. 

“So… Cid told me that my dad used to write to him.”

Gladio shared a look of amusement with Noctis. It was always interesting to learn something about someone that was unknown. Even Ignis sounded surprised with his “Huh?” reaction.

“You know. Now that you mention that. I do remember my dad gifting the king with a stationary gift basket for one of his birthdays.”

“And if I recall; he was quite fond of collecting pens and stamps.”

There were many similarities between Noctis and his late father. He was beginning to wish he could talk more to him about writing to a long distance friend. Also, it explained his father understanding the situation Noctis was in. The only difference being his father and Cid had already physically met. Noctis and Prompto hadn't.

Everyone's attention was turned to their sudden new surroundings. 

“Hey look! A Crow's Nest Diner!”

Noctis nearly jumped out of his seat at the site of the diner. Not only that, but there was a motel too. There were also a couple of cars, a vast, dry land all around, and other landmarks to make the space seem more inhabited.

“Would you like me to pull over, Noct?”

The young king thought silently this time. Brimming with excitement, he couldn't wait to bring Prompto here. Once tired and bored eyes were now trying to identify the inside of the diner. Squint after squint were blocked by a slight tint in the window as well as the late day sun. 

Even though getting to Galdin was top priority, there was one thing Noctis needed to check for. If this diner didn't have what he was looking for then would bringing Prompto here be worth it? 

“Pull over, Iggy.”

Ignis, doing as told, pulled off the road and into the smallest parking lot he'd ever seen. In front of the motel were only two spaces which would probably explain other cars being parked in the sand like dirt.

Turning off the car, the immediate sound of the passenger car door opening took both Ignis and Gladio by surprise. Their king, usually one to take his time, was hauling himself toward the diner. His power walk made the shield laugh as the advisor only sighed and watched as he himself removed himself from the car.

Noctis had to be sure this diner was good to go. As soon as he took a step inside the diner, there it was. 

***************

The gondola made it back to the ports… but just barely. The ferry was beginning to fill with people, all on their way to Lucis. Prompto, knowing he had to hurry on his way, made a pit stop to pick up a small bag of cheese flavored chips at a stall. There was a line, the cashier was slow, and the person in front of him was counting his Gil.… one piece at a time.

Seeing the time on his watch, Prompto took out his wallet, paid for his snack and the person's in front of him and dashed back to the gondola. Before he knew it, they arrived at the port and now, he was yet again, in another line. He had his passport and his bags were, hopefully, waiting for him, at the ferry. If not then he was in deep trouble. 

Right now, he focused on the line. There were so many people on their way to Lucis. Maybe it was a hotspot at this time of year. The blond clutched his plush chocobo keychain, Boco, and released a very heavy sigh. 

The line took twenty minutes to clear. Only two people were working the checkpoint and boarding station. According to a conversation he overheard, the increase in tourism had increased all too suddenly after Lucis and Tenebrae began the first steps to easing tensions with Niflheim. It was no longer expensive to travel or importance or export goods.

But of course, the influx of tourists had to happen when Prompto finally had the chance to travel, most of, the world. But with the shift in the relationships of once feuding countries, this was probably the best time for Prompto to meet Noctis. And, then he remembered.

“My pal is a king…”

He all but mumbled to himself so no one could hear him. Though, it was unlikely anyone would believe him. “Better safe than sorry”, thought the blond. He made his way to the baggage claim, immediately noticing, compared to others, he didn't bring much.

“Excuse me sir?”

Prompto turned toward one of the two security guards that had been at the checkpoint. He had a stamp in hand, most likely for the passport. 

“Need my passport?”

“Yes sir.”

The blond took it out of his back pocket and handed it over to the guard. He looked through it, possibly noticing how empty it was with just the Tenebraen stamp as well as from Accordo. After a quick review between person and picture ID, the guard gave the passport back. He pulled out a yellow band and signalled for the blond's wrist.

It was snapped on pretty quick, showing how well experienced this man was at his job. 

“Have a safe trip.”

“Thank you! You too!”

Prompto wasn't sure if the guard heard him but he certainly heard himself. He laughed at himself, picking up his bags and walking toward the ferry. 

“Oh man….”

Prompto froze. This was it. He was almost to Lucis. He would be at Galdin Quay in a few hours, meeting his pen pal Noctis. All of this was actually happening. The blond took a deep breath, trying to settle his nerves and his quickened heartbeat. His body was on fire from his nervousness, his palms sweaty, and foot tapping.

“Get it together, Prompto… Get it together…”

He closed his eyes for a moment and remembered all he had been through up to this point. This was what it was all leading up to.

“No turning back.”

Prompto opened his eyes and continued to walk forward with as much confidence as he could muster. He boarded the ferry and began the last segment of his trip to Noctis.

\----------------------

After an hour, Noctis finally left the diner. Ignis and Gladio ate but he didn't. That meal was being saved for when he met Prompto. Instead, he spent most of his time at the corner of the diner. There was something he had to do. 

Then when he finished, the three of them were back in the car. 

“Hey Iggy, I'll drive.”

Ignis stopped dead in his tracks, surprised by his king's words. It was like watching someone in slow motion. Gladio started laughing, mostly at the advisor's expense while Noctis covered his mouth trying not to join his shield. All efforts were in vain.

“You… never want to drive. Actually, if I recall correctly, you always had me drive you around everywhere, despite having your own license. So why, all of a sudden, do you want to drive?”

After a short fit of laughter, Noctis walked up to Ignis and snatched the keys from Ignis's hand. He gave his arm a quick hug and unlocked the doors for everyone to get in. Though, Gladio just jumped over the door as usual.

“Because I have to. Now get your butt in so we can go. I need my navigator.”

A rare, full beaming smile crossed over the King's face. Ignis couldn't even attempt to say no at this point. So he gave in and sat in the passenger's seat. Though he was letting Noctis drive it still was a cause for concern. Ignis did his best to keep calm, making himself think ahead to what was to come.

And, as soon as Noctis began to drive forward out of the parking lot, he abruptly slammed on the breaks, patting down all his pockets. He kept at it for a few minutes till he was able to find it in his left front pocket. 

“Sorry. Thought I forgot my phone. We're good.”

Ignis was heavy with sighs. Gladio was a laughing mess at this point. 

It was back on the road once more. The roads were all new to the three men. They had never been around the area, at least not since Gladio and Iris were kids. Noctis hadn't here before and yet he felt as if he knew where to go.

The road to Galdin was a straight path. Only curves, inclines, and declines in the road were expected until they got to the welcome sign of Galdin Quay. There, he turned left, driving down tricky looking curves to get to the beach destination. Ignis held on the entire way, not fond of the speed Noctis was going on the curves. 

The young king slowed down once he was on the two lane road and turned right, into the parking lot. He backed up the car under a metal canopy, thankful no one was parked their.

For a moment, he thought he had seen a ship of sorts at the dock. It wasn't and it was officially about to feel like the longest wait of his life. Exiting the car, he took a step out from under the canopy. His father once told him about a time he brought him here as a toddler.

To his far left, there was a fishing pier, just as his father described. The area he stood in must've been new since he only described soft sands and steps leading to the bridge. With this kind of view, Prompto would definitely love it as a photographer. White sands, blue seas- it was a little slice of paradise. There would definitely be some fishing done to kill time.

But before that, Noctis turned back to the regalia. Ignis and Gladio stayed next to it, guarding and watching over Noctis. By passing them, the young king dove into his duffle bag in back, opposite to where Gladio was sitting. His hands burrowed through a few things before coming out. 

Ignis, having not seen this when he packed their bags, looked on with suspicious curiosity. Gladio did the same. Noctis spun on his heel, facing his advisor with a guilty child-like grin. Ignis knew he was up to something.

“What is that?” 

The advisor eyed two leather wallets in Noctis's hands. Gladio came around with a thinking face till he had a pretty good idea of what Noctis was planning.

************************

The sky was clearing though the waves were still a bit choppy. Prompto walked around as others did. He took more pictures but knew ten out of twelve of them would have to be erased due to the shifts in the waves. Still, the blond snapped away.

There was no mainland in sight. They were far from Altissia and soon approaching Galdin Quay. From the pamphlets laying all around the ferry, Galdin seemed like a great vacationing spot and “picturesque no matter what direction you face!” That's what the pamphlet said. 

Prompto was definitely hooked and couldn't wait to take a few snaps. That excitement filled his head quick and, immediately, he couldn't help but wonder if Noctis wouldn't mind getting his picture taken. After all, every great king needs a portrait. A great portrait. Something epic. The ocean could their natural backdrop.

The blond scaled the rails, peeking over to see the water and the occasional large fish that happened to poke its head out of the water. He always tried to time the shot just right. The fluttering sound of his camera went off several times in a row until the he felt confident enough he got a shot. 

Looking through, there was one, and only one, perfect shot of a fish. He'd save that for Noctis. Maybe blow it up onto a canvas? Or a glossy print? 

As he thought of how to present the photo, Prompto caught sight of land. There was still some distance but they were definitely a lot closer now. 

“I wonder… if he's there?”

\----------

 

“You cannot be left alone. Absolutely not.”

“Absolutely yes.”

Noctis bickered with Ignis as he shoved black leather wallets into his and Gladio's hands. Gladio accepted, pretty much letting Ignis do all of the scolding first.

“He could try to hurt you, your majesty.”

“Could've tried with the packages as well.”

“That was before he knew you were royalty.”

“And after? Besides. This pen pal thing was your idea. Or my dad's. Or both.”

“In honesty, I never thought you two would meet up. And now you are. I couldn't be more happy for you. However, we must still follow protocol.”

Finally, Gladio stepped in, wide palm on the advisor's shoulder. He squeezed firmly and pulled him just a smidge back, almost into his arm.

“I think he'll be fine Iggy.”

Ignis was in complete shock.

“You're his shield. Thats-”

“Let's give him this. Its something good after strings of shitty politics and games.”

Ignis knew he was beginning to lose his argument. Noctis hit him with his best puppy dog eyes and smiled. Gladio continued to persuade.

“Think of it as a much needed vacation. It may be our only one for a looong, long time.”

The young king gave a look of agreeance to both of them and walked away.

“Thanks guys. I owe you.”

Noctis just knew Ignis was scrunching up his nose, ever so slightly. It was rare when he immediately showed emotion to a situation not in his favor. Then again, it was rare when a situation was not in his favor.

But, if anyone could get the advisor to relax, it was Gladio. They may even embark on their own little adventure. 

He was getting eager. The young king made his way down the bridge toward Mother of Pearl. From there he'd get to the dock. And, judging by the looks of it, the pier was looking pretty packed with people waiting to reunite with whoever they were waiting for. 

There was the possibility of using his title to push through the crowd but, he didn't want to be rude. Calling attention to himself could end up disastrous as well. Instead, a call out might be better. All he would need to do is call out to Prompto and hope he hears.

It was just now that Noctis thought he should've asked Ravus or Luna what Prompto looked like. For sure he was blond. But what would he be wearing today? He could try calling or texting Luna but neither her it her brother carried their phones all the time.

A burst of different sensations ran through the young king's body. Noctis couldn't tell if he was nervous, excited, or scared. That ferry was getting closer. 

****

Galdin was just feet away now. Prompto quickly gathered his things like the other eager passengers did. No one was disorderly but anything could happen when excitement or even exhaustion took over. 

The blond took his camera out, extending his arms up and being as still as he could. A quick shutter sounded off. It was Prompto's hope that the picture captured as many people as he could in the crowd. With that done, the camera was tucked into one of the blond's bags.

The ferry was coming to a stop as was Prompto's heart. He knew it was only a matter of time before his mind began to jump into the negative “what if” pool.

“What if he doesn't like me? What if I make him look bad? Embarrass him? Make him trip with my own clumsiness? What if we never say a word and this all ends poorly?”

Prompto shook his head and began to descend down the railed ramp and onto the pier.

\---

Noctis tip-toed, trying to find a blond boy within the crowd. He leaned up against the rail, looking at every single guy that walked off the ferry. There were definitely blonds all over the place but be was certain none of them were Prompto.

***

He had never seen the king before. Not even on television. He may know the sound of his voice thanks to any clips from the radio. Still, he looked around hoping to see someone who'd stick out like a sore thumb. He tried to remember the way Lunafreya described him. 

\---

The king,doing his best to make sure he wasn't seen too much, kept his head down. He walked through the crowd, occasionally looking up to find blond hair. The best he could do was call to him but he became shy about doing so. 

***

The blond navigated through the herd of people, examining faces as he passed them. None gave of that sense of royalty. Prompto was beginning to worry. People were starting to meet up with family and friends. But not him. Prompto halted suddenly so he could readjust how he was holding his bags. But as he did so, someone bumped into him from behind.

-*-*-*-

“Shit.” Noctis mumbled quietly. “I'm sorry, man. You okay?”

“Uh. Yeah. Totally. I'm fine. Sorry about that!” Prompto laughed nervously.

“It's not your fault. I wasn't paying attention.” 

Noctis picked up one of the bags the blond in front of him dropped. He could at least do that after bumping into him. 

Both young men stood absolutely still. Prompto's eyes widened as the sound of the other's voice replayed in his mind. Was this….

“Are you…. By some outstanding, weird chance.... uuuh, Are you Noctis?”

The young king examined the guy in front of him. He was blond. He looked the same age as him. He definitely presented himself differently from the other passengers. There was no way this could be Prompto. No way could luck have just hit in a good way and presented his Penpal to him. Just like that.

“I… . am… Are you Prompto?” Noctis asked with plenty of caution in his voice.

“Yeah.”

“Seriously?”

Nobody said a word. Noctis was having trouble finding the right wthing to say. Friends just don't appear out of nowhere unless it was some cheesy kid cartoon. Prompto struggled to even think of a greeting. Like, “hey, holy shit, by the Six, it's actually YOU!” Part of Noctis thought, “I should've just let Ignis tag along before sending him off.” But then he ultimately decided, it was best the advisor didn't see him as he was right now.

The blond was starting to fidget. He smiled and laughed nervously. Meeting a king was intimidating or, rather, it was supposed to be intimidating. However, Noctis was like a regular young adult in the world. Especially of the sort of shy edgy variety. Still, he worried this was a bad sign of some sort.

And Noctis was starting to worry, all the same, at the same time. First impressions were important. That was something Ignis and his father taught him. So the young king cleared his throat, sort of coughing in the process. That seem to catch the blond's attention more than the clearing did.

“We should get out of here.” 

First impressions... Noctis took hold of Prompto's wrist after making sure he had his bags in hand. He slithered through the crowd taking care not to drag his pen pal mercilessly. If anything, he made the blond confused, his cheeks reddening, and a mini heart attack commencing in his chest.

He was being pulled by the king of Lucis, no one seemed to notice or care, and his hand was really warm. Just like his. If their silence wasn't any indication of their nervousness then the sweaty palms definitely were. 

After a few minutes, Noctis managed to land a table, furthest from most people, and helped Prompto set his bags down. It was perfect because the scenery was beautiful and the sun's glimmer on the ocean revealed the young king's blue eyes. They were darker than his own and more piercing too. 

Noctis sat across from Prompto with his back to the crowd. He was doing well to keep attention away from him so far. Settling on his chair, he reached into one of his pockets but couldn't find the disposable camera he bought for Prompto. It would have to wait till later then.

“Sorry I dragged you. It's quieter over here. For now.”

“No worries! I don't think we'd be able to hear one another in that crowd.”

“That's for sure.”

This was a good start. It started a tad awkward but Prompto was starting to feel at ease.

“It's really you...” Noctis trailed off.

“Good old Prompto at your service!” He winked twice as they had started writing in their letters.

Noctis laughed. Genuinely laughed as he had temporarily forgotten about their “wink-wink” thing they had going. Prompto joined in laughing thinking how silly he must've looked. 

The young king soon followed up with his own winks but just ended in more laughter. It might've been a lot better if they kept that as an inside gesture to themselves. And it was definitely a good way of solidifying proof that they were who they said. Who else would know of their winks?

“Well, good to meet you Prompto.” Noctis smiled. “And I'm Noctis. King of Lucis... And fishing.

Prompto nervously smiled but, not because Noctis announced himself as king but, because he was on the verge of laughing once more. 

Then it happened and they were back at it again. 

“If that's the case then I'm king of photography. And chip eating!”

“King of chips!”

“Yessss!”

They high fived each other as if they were childhood friends or something. It was refreshing to Prompto because now every fear he was beginning to have started fading away. And every awkward feeling Noctis felt was gone and replaced with a new excitement. 

Just be himself. That's all Noctis had to do. This meetup wasn't about kingly duties or running a country. Though, if he was asked, he'd answer. But for small talk, no. He wouldn't bore his friend with that.

Seeing the confidence in Noctis encouraged Prompto to relax and chat. Just chat. A regular, normal chat that didn't involve legal issues, work, school, or anything in relating to acting like an adult. There was so much to be said. No way would everything be addressed in one day.

“Isn't this crazy? I mean, first of all, I never thought I'd actually leave Niflheim. But here I am. And you're you and I'm in Lucis.”

“Yeah.”

Prompto finally began to look at his surroundings, his jaw to the floor, eyes filled with wonder. Noctis couldn't help but notice.

“Do you want to walk around? Just so you know- Galdin is just the start. There's a ton of things to see. And I'm pretty sure you're going to want to take pictures.”

Prompto popped up from his seat, barely able to control his enthusiasm. He reached into his bag for his camera. Taking a good look at it, Noctis could tell it was pretty fancy. There was no way he could give him the disposable one he bought. It be like an insult. And if the pictures he sent were anything to judge his skills by, then he was definitely a professional.

“I'm ready when you're ready, Noctis.”

The blond was a ball of energy. A bit opposite of himself, that was certain, but refreshing compared to the tight postured regulars at the citadel. He could loosen up well around Ignis and Gladio and Iris but, Prompto was just about the same age as him. The difference in behavior and conversation was obvious. 

“You can call me Noct, by the way.”

“Oh. Um, okay then, Noct! Noct it is! You can just call me uh… um...”

They both started thinking of a short nickname for Prompto. Noctis gave him a good look, up and down his face and his entire body. 

“Prompt?”

“That makes me sound like a school assignment.”

“Pfft. You're right…. Hmmm… Prom?”

“Maaaaaaybe. It kind of sounds like some kind of formal gathering of sorts.”

They stopped their thoughts, saying in unison, “Prom” and that was it. From now on-

“I'll call you Prom for short?”

“Yeah! Sounds good! I like it! No probs.”

They made their way down the bridge toward the mainland, making stops to look at the fish or the midday ocean view. Prompto began to take pictures, showing them to Noctis each time. Everything, so far, was vastly different from Niflheim. The world didn't seem so dreary and gloomy. Prompto didn't feel oppressed and Noctis was probably the coolest guy he'd ever met. 

Noctis was a little quiet at the start. With each picture Prompto took, though, he began to say more and more. He started to suggest things to the blond. Like balancing themselves on the wooden barricade of the bridge. Prompto took pictures, and Noctis did his best not to fall each time. A couple of older adults would look their way, some tempted to tell them to settle down.

But they didn't and weren't about to either. They bought snacks at the concession at the end of the bridge. Both got chips and a soft drink. 

And a certain blond got sea salt and vinegar chips.

“Oh. You weren't kidding.”

Noctis’s face scrunched up earning the other's attention. Prompto looked at his bag and then lit up the light bulb in his head. Yet another thing they shared in their letters. The blond smiled, childishly. Noctis added a frown to his scrunch and took a few steps away from his friend. 

“Wanna try one?”

“No.”

“They're good!”

“No they're not.”

“Yes they are!”

“No- Ew! No! Get away!”

Prompto started chasing him around in the sand, neither one caring about it getting all over them. They laughed, unable to stop. Noctis was slowing down but Prompto could do this all day. And he would've had Noctis not stopped himself at an old, beaten down, wooden fence. Prompto put the brakes on his feet but not on time as he clashed with the young king, who, grabbed him just before anything worse could've happened.

Prompto was still laughing hysterically and Noctis, still letting out a “ha” here and there, was patting the blond's back.

“You okay, Prom?”

“Yeah! I'm fine!”

Prompto wiped away a joyful tear from all his laughter and finally looked to Noctis. He was definitely inside his personal space and his hands were on his waist. His freckled face blushed as he pulled away. That when he realized he had the prince pinned against a very old fence that could have broken had he not been stopped on time. 

“Oops. Sorry about, Noct! Guess I got a bit carried away.”

“It fine. I just didn't want to fall. You okay?”

Prompto shook his head at first then nodded. 

“Yeah! I'm fine!”

Noctis huffed, still noticing how red the blond had gotten. Like a red tomato.

Looking past that little ordeal, Noctis and Prompto eventually made it to the fishing pier. They bought lures and line and a sticker of official licensed fishing gear. Noctis gave it to the blond who had plenty of pockets in his bags. The same bags he had been carrying around this whole time. Ran with them, put down, picked up, adjusted over his shoulders.

He could only think of the muscles he would magically grow from all of this.or, at least, hope.

It wasn't long before this thought hit Noctis too. His car was nearby, he could let him put his stuff in there. All he had to do was put the top back up and make sure the doors were locked. The pier wasn't about to go anywhere and they weren't too far away from the parking lot.

“Hey Prom? Do you want to put your stuff in my car?”

“Can I?”

“Well, yeah, if you'd like. Can't imagine you want to keep looking like a peddler from a fantasy game.”

The blond laughed at the comparison. Definitely accurate and spot on to how he was beginning to feel like. He nodded and walked with Noctis to his car.

+++

Another admirer of the Regalia. Prompto checked it out, from one end to the other. The tires, the interior, the engine, the seat, the lights… Everything. If he could go under he would.

“Seriously! Your car is so cool!”

“I like it too. It was my dad's. Now it's mine I guess.”

“Sorry I took a dozen pictures! Never know when I need a portfolio on automobiles!”

Noctis shrugged his shoulders but smiled at his friend's enthusiasm. From what he could tell in their letters, when Prompto liked so etching, he LIKED it. Or, more along the lines of love. So far cars and chocobos were what excited him the most. 

“So. Have you ever fished before?”

Prompto, walking alongside Noctis, looked up in thought. 

“Real fishing… nope. Unless kiddie pools with magnetic fish count?”

“We can take that as practice.”

“Then I practiced fishing when I was five!”

Back at the pier, the two young men stared out into the water then back to themselves. Noctis was more than happy to teach him how to set up his fishing pole, how to tie knots, how to cast, reel, what kind of lures to use, a thing he could get Prompto to understand.

It was all relaxing to Noctis and, at first, it seemed to be for Prompto as well. They had casted successfully and far out into the water. It was a perfect day for fishing. A great day to just, stand around.

+++

It was getting late. Noctis had picked up a few small fish but let them go. Prompto got nothing and was more than ready to move on to whatever was next to see or do. How on Eos did this guy like fishing so much? It was just standing and hoping you catch something. 

And maybe the young king was a mind reader because he finally decided to call it quits. They returned their rented fishing gear and bought another sticker for the sole reason being Noctis wanted to match with Prompto. He didn't admit this out loud but it was kind of obvious when he said, “I got one like yours.”

They were back at the car which seemed to make blondes of all kinds happy. Noctis pulled out his keys from his pocket and unlocked it. 

“Time to leave Galdin.”

“Really?”

“Wanna stay longer, Prom?”

“Tempted but nah! Where we going?”

Noctis slid into the driver's seat, signalling a hesitant Prompto to get in as well.

“We have a date at a certain Diner. Remember?”

“D-date!? Uuuuuuh……. Oh!”

Prompto gasped loud enough for people thirty feet away to hear him. A big smile came over his face and immediately, he jumped in. A quick glance to the back seat revealed his bags, untouched and ready to go.

The two looked forward, most likely gazing out to where the ferry was departing from. Galdin would forever be special to them as the place they got to meet in person for the first time. 

“Hope you brought your membership card.” Noctis smiled, putting the car on drive and taking off. 

“Totally! It's in my wallet!”

When Prompto patted the pocket holding his wallet, Noctis looked. He turned away quick, hoping he didn't do anything inappropriate. But, a yellow plush caught his eye. Glancing one last time, he saw the Chocobo keychain he had sent over to Prompto. It dangled off the loop of his pants.

“Is that the Chocobo I sent you?” 

“Hm? Yeah! I named him-”

“Boco. Right?”

“Yup. You remembered huh?”

Noctis nodded. With one hand on the wheel, he stuck his hand down his shirt which gained the blond’s attention. The way the young king reached down, exposed more of his neck and collar bone. However, something shiny caught Prompto's eye.

“I've been wearing this everyday since I received it.” 

The young king revealed the fish pendant Prompto sent him during their pen-paling. It was still shiny, the chain was longer than Prompto last remembered, and it was, undoubtedly, dangling off the neck of his friend. The blond couldn't help but feel extremely happy and touched.

+++

They were on the road for thirty plus minutes. At Prompto's requests, they pulled over multiple times so he could snap some pictures. There was some climbing done as well as tripping and sightseeing in ways they never had before.

The best picture was of a long distance panoramic shot Prompto took of Galdin Quay. Noctis was impressed when he was shown the result on the camera's screen. He had seen photos of landscapes before but nothing like that.

“That's pretty incredible Prom? You can't tell me you're not a professional.”

“I'm not, though. Technically, I'm still learning.”

“You're a natural then.”

Prompto laughed at the idea of simply knowing how to photograph just because of natural talent. But, if a king liked it then he had to be doing pretty well for himself. 

The two continued to examine the setting set out before them. Even for Noctis this was new. It was a different way of seeing just a portion of his kingdom. There was beauty all around and he was glad to have this view with Prompto around. He too could see how lovely Lucis was and take pictures to help preserve it all.

This could be one of the best times to get a picture of Noctis. A really  
nice, gigantic frame worthy portrait that any former or future king would be envious of. It could be so great, it be used as the picture used in textbooks and posters alike. Not to mention it's potential preservation in a museum one day.

Prompto shook his head knowing he was getting way too ahead of himself. However, it was an opportunity of a lifetime. The perfect-

“Wanna get going, Prom?”

Prompto froze, a nervous kind of smile forming on his lips. He turned to face Noctis, whom, was giving him a soft, concerned look. How could he not take this picture with that expression on his face? 

“Uh… uh, yeah. Sure. We can get going!”

“You sure?”

Prompto looked back at the view then back to Noctis then down at his camera. The young king approached the blond, leaving a comfortable space between them. With his hand placed upon Prompto's shoulder, Noctis began to reassure him.

“If you want to take more pictures, that's fine. No rush.”

“Yeah! I definitely want to take more pictures but uh… you know!”

“I do?”

“Yeah. No! Yeah, you know. I uh…. I want to take a picture of….”

The blond went silent. Instead of voicing what he wanted he began to use his eyes as a way to help Noctis put two and two together. He looked at the young king then back to his camera, and kept on until Noctis had a clue.

“Oh… you want a picture of me?” Noctis was surprised.

Prompto nodded but was entering shy mode. He couldn't vocalize his needs any longer. It was possible he wouldn't want that.

“That's fine by me, Prom.”

Or, guess he didn't mind.

“Really!?”

“Yeah….... Where do you want me?”

Fireworks went off in every inch of Prompto's body. He became excited with the thought of getting to take the king's picture.No. Scratch that. His pen pal's picture. Someone who was more than just some snobby, regal crown to him. 

“Where you are is fine. Just look off into the sunset.”

“But the sun isn't setting.”

“You know what I mean!”

They laughed till Noctis stopped suddenly. He looked out into the distance, standing like his usual self. Not hunched over but not completely straight up. He stood in a way that was comfortable and relaxed.

Prompto, after shuffling around Noctis, settled on a spot that, not only captured the expression of his friend, but the scenery they were faced with. Nothing could beat this shot. Nothing. The lighting, the view, his friend, this experience. It was all so surreal. Not one thing could ever top this.

Or so Prompto thought.

++

They weren't on the road much longer. Noctis waited. The closer he got the more eager he was. Not so much that he was about to eat but that Prompto would be going to The Crow's Nest Diner for the first time. 

And sure enough, Prompto was getting up from his seat, leaning on the windshield for support as the vehicle kept moving. Never mind how out-of-nowhere it was. It was a Crow's Nest. A real Crow's Nest Diner with Kenny Crow sitting nearby the entrance.

The blond turned to Noctis who was smiling and chuckling in amusement. It was the reaction he thought he'd see. 

“I knew we were coming here, you said so, and I was ready but… but… I dunno! This is surreal, dude!”

“Yup.”

“It's a real Crow's Nest Diner!”

“Yes it is.”

“And that's Kenny Crow!” 

“Sure is.”

Noctis pulled up in front of the motel that was non-existent to the blond at the moment. There was no stopping Prompto. He hopped out of the car just as Noctis made a complete stop and parked. Prompto was do distracted he forgot his camera on his seat. Noctis happily picked it up.

“Here.”

“Thanks!”

The blond took steps forward, stopping just before hitting the road. Noctis took that time to quickly grab the disposable camera he bought for the blond. Though he was still feeling dumb for thinking it would be a good gift given Prompto's talents.

He met up by his side, taking notice of the Chocobo clipped to his pants. It was as if it was swinging around with Prompto's happiness. Very carefully, Noctis put his hand on the blond's shoulder and began to lead him toward the diner. All Prompto could utter was, “oh… my… Six…”

And right on cue, the waiter behind the counter welcomed them.

“Welcome to the Crow's Nest!”

Prompto's smile was huge followed by incoherent noises. Noctis continued to lead him and sat him down on a stool in front of the waiter.

“This his first time?”

“Yup.”

“I'll give you kids a moment then.”

The man laughed as he walked away toward another customer. There weren't too many people in this particular diner. A couple of businessmen probably off to Galdin, miners most likely working in some old mines in the area, visitors just out and about. Despite the low numbers, the place was lively. 

Noctis knew what he was going to order. As for the blond, he just kept scanning the menu for a good five minutes before turning to his friend.

“What are you getting?”

“The fish.”

“I figured you would.”

“I recommend it but it's entirely up to you.”

Eventually, the waiter made it back, patiently waiting another two minutes before Prompto decided he would have what Noctis was having. The man went off to the back to see their order fulfilled.

Meanwhile, Noctis jabbed Prompto's arm to get his attention. Prompto was cleaning the lense as he had smeared his finger over it during his excitement.

“Have you ever played justice monsters?”

“Like justice monsters five!?”

“Yeah.”

Noctis pointed his thumb near the entrance of the diner. A pinball table stood, sounds and lights going off. Had Prompto been paying attention, he would've seen it. But seeing it now was just fine. 

“Dude! In the area if Niflheim I was from, there were only two places I could play it before they were removed!”

“What monster would remove justice monsters?”

“The bad kind of monsters.”

They both fell silent but kept their eyes on the pinball table. 

“Hey Noct? Do you remember your old score?”

“Uuuuuuh… no. I actually can't remember it. You?”

“Nope. It's been quite a while. Life, you know?”

“Pfft. Do I ever.”

The young men laughed as they began to reminisce. Their “good ol’ days” really did seem like a such a long time ago. It felt like they had just started writing to one another. Time sure flew through all if their obstacles and losses. 

All of it made this meeting all the more sweeter. 

Some few minutes passed by before the waiter returned with their meals. Various aromas filled the air. Even though it was fish, it did not bring about a heavy fishy smell. The salmon was baked to perfection and the special sauce was filled with different spices to compliment the fish. 

Prompto's mouth watered. But before he began to eat, he had to take a picture. Three, to be exact, at different angles. The lighting was a tad tricky but nothing he couldn't fix later on. The regulars in the diner looked on like the blond was nuts. Nothing he wasn't used to.

++

Both Noctis and Prompto ate through their meals as if they were drinking water. The waiter had never seen two people devour food the way the two young men just did. It was impressive but not enough to fall for Prompto's, “So impressive we get it for free?” That question earned him a straight up No.

What they were able to convince the waiter to give them were the children's to-go cups featuring Kenny and Kelly Crow. The waiter scanned the cups while asking if either of the young men had a members card. At that point, Prompto eagerly removed his card from his pocket and handed it to the waiter. 

“Three hundred points will earn you a free meal. Just drop by any Crow's Nest location and have that card scanned.”

Prompto nodded his head feverishly like a child that just received candy. Noctis paid, as he said he would. The price was higher than he thought but he was more than happy to pay.

Then after that was set and done, they wasted no time getting to the pinball table. 

“You ready Noct?”

“Born ready.”

“Then let's do this!”

Turns out there was a second table. Perfect so they could play together. In unison, they inserted a coin and began their friendly pinball competition. Noctis missed playing something as simple as pinball. All of his duties kept him from having much free time. So getting to play once more, and with Prompto, was relaxing. Even as the two began to pick up their paces.

They turned out to be competitive. Noctis started it with an elbow to the blond's arm. Both laughed and soon Prompto followed up with his hand to the young king's face. The distractions were costing them high scores. 

However, Prompto just barely surpassed Noctis, even after he was poked in the cheek multiple times. 

“Score! Look at that! That reads 780,561!”

“What! No way!”

Noctis perked at Prompto's bored and sure enough. It was in the seven hundred thousands. 

“What you get?”

“780,559…”

“Dude! You were so close!”

The pout Noctis showed made Prompto swing an arm over him. He practically hugged his head. Oddly enough, Noctis didn't mind. Usually when Gladio starts getting mushy, he would squirm away like a cat. But not this one. We're he an actual feline, he'd be purring. 

Prompto sighed in victorious relief, Noctis in defeat. 

“Wanna rematch?”

“Heck yeah I do. But, tomorrow. If… you know… you'll still be around that is.”

“Of course I'll still be around, Noct. Where else would I go?”

“True. Just figured you'd want to venture out or something.”

“I don't think I can afford to do that even with all the gil you sent me.”

“Huh?”

Noctis tilted his head. The blond laughed wondering how his friend, this king he was still holding onto, had forgotten about all of the gil he sent his way.

“You sent me a mini fortune plus the scratch off that I sent you that you sent back to me because you won something.”

Noctis thought for a moment.

“Scratch off…. Oh! Now I remember. I did send you gil, didn't I?”

“Uh, yeah, you sure did! Why did you do that?”

“I just wanted to help a friend.”

Feeling embarrassed, Noctis tugged a bit to get away, careful not to show his flustered face. In vain though. Prompto saw him and proceeded to thank him multiple times. The thought was definitely appreciated.

“You're like my personal atm or something!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Sugar daddy?” Prompto winked teasingly.

“Quit it.” The two walked out of the diner, separating from their little embrace, and back toward the Regalia. This time it was Prompto leading Noctis. 

The day was nearing its end. A red sky began its transformation into a starry sky. Very little clouds meant a clear view of the sky. It was a sight Prompto hadn't seen in so long. Living in a dreary city hid the night sky so much he almost forgot what the moon looked like. 

He wanted to take a few pictures though, he wasn't sure if Noctis would be up to it. Maybe he would rather call it a day? His face gave away his contemplation which prompted Noctis to shake his friend out of his daze.

“Prompto? You okay? Eat too much?”

“Huh? Yeah. I mean no! I didn't eat too much! I'm fine!

The blond laughed nervously while scratching his head. For a moment, he thought the young king looked really, really concerned. Maybe it was just his imagination. When he looked at Noctis once more, he was back to his regular, relaxed expression. 

Still, Prompto felt like he couldn't waste anymore of Noctis's time for the sake of his nature photo ops. As fun and surreal as this day was, he knew, as a king, Noctis needed to get back to ruling. So he tried to drive the conversation a different way.

“Hey, so, where's a good place to stay the night?”

Noctis simply pointed dead ahead. In front of them, where they parked, was a motel. The young king leaned up against his car, waiting on the blond's next move. The constant thought of the day ending was sitting well with Noctis. There was tomorrow but he wanted THIS day, to last a little while longer.

“Hey Prompto.”

“Yeah?”

The blond, seeing Noctis as he was prompted him to pick up his camera. Seeing this, a flash of red spread across the young king's face. But, despite some minor objection, Noctis stood still, unintentionally looking off to the open lands of Leide.

Prompto took a step back. The red of the evening sky was already starting to fade. He hurried in his positioning, adjusting till he got the right spot. A full shot of Noctis against his car. 

“Got it.”

“Ok…”

For some reason they grew silent. Awkward as well. 

Prompto leaned against the car with Noctis, looking up to see the stars much more visible. A quiet “wow” escaped his lips, earning the king's gaze. The freckled blond looked like a kid with stars in his eyes. And yet, like Noctis, he couldn't help but want the day to keep going. It showed in his stare, each time he lost focus. 

Noctis began his star gazing as well but soon found himself walking toward the receptionist at the motel. Prompto couldn't help but frown just a little. He tried to hide it as Noctis came back.

“C'mon.”

Like earlier, Noctis took hold of Prompto's wrist, dragging him out of the rest area and into the open. There was wildlife still out and about but nothing near to pose a threat. If anything were to happen, Noctis felt confident that he could protect his friend and himself.

They walked a good twenty or so minutes till they were eventually headed up a slanted road. The higher they got, the more they could hear the sounds of a mine that was usually busy during the day. The creaking sounds were somewhat spooky to Prompto. He forgot how easily frightened he could get.

Noctis pulled him closer to him, unwilling to admit the sounds were getting to him as well. He simply decided to be a tough guy and tough it out. Their arms tangled up eventually, neither one of them letting go till they were right in from of the fenced entrance to the mine.

“Are we going in there? Please say no.”

“No but… I've never been here before. It's kind of cool.”

“Uuuuh, I don't think so!”

Noctis laughed in spite of how he was truly feeling. He shook his head and pulled Prompto toward the ledge of the overlook. It wasn't the highest spot but it was definitely better than the side of the Regalia.

“The guy at the motel said this was a good spot for stargazing. As long as we didn't mind the sounds of the mine nearby.”

Prompto smiled. Had Noctis read his mind? They felt the same way but couldn't tell. 

“You want to?”

Nevermind that Noctis just mentioned the stars. Prompto's brain decided to scatter into uncharted territory. It his cheeks blushing weren't enough, his ears joins in as well. Rather than let his internal situation progress, he questioned Noctis.

“How- I mean, what do you mean?”

“Look at the stars? You seemed interested earlier. We can head back-”

“Ooooh! Yeah, yeah, yeah! Of course! I want to! Look at the stars, I mean!”

The young king tilted his head ever so slightly at his friend's sudden outburst. Had he thought something differently, he wondered?

The two sat down, not worrying about the dirt underneath them. Noctis leaned back, keeping his upper body propped up with his elbows. Prompto criss cross his legs and began prepping his camera for pictures. 

As Noctis watched, he remembered he still had the disposable camera in his pocket. It wasn't going to able to take pictures of the night sky though. 

“I got you something.” Noctis blurted out.

“You did?”

Prompto turned his way in shock. The only thing he brought over for him was a picture of a fish. Then again, this was just like the young king to give him cool gifts. Now the blond couldn't help but wonder what exactly Noctis had for him.

It was silly. One, for being a cheap camera and two, for having no other reason to do this other than being reminded of the blond when he saw it. Noctis carefully pulled the partially packaged camera out from his pants pocket. If he was surprised about anything it was that the blond never noticed the bulge. The camera, that is.

The young king gulped creating an unwanted nervousness in the pit of his stomach. It's a stupid, cheap camera. Why did he feel shy and bashful? His body was turned opposite of Prompto's gaze. The blond tried to peek but stopped when he figured Noctis wanted this to be a surprise.

“Here!”

“Gah! Uh, thanks! Haha!”

Catching the blond off guard, Noctis quickly shoved the disposable camera into his friend's chest. It took Prompto a moment to process what had just happened. Was Noctis ok? Again, he tried to take a look but Noctis did his best to not meet the blond's eyes.

Prompto didn't waste any more time as he fumbled with the item in his hand. One good luck and he saw the simplistic design of the disposable camera. He gasped. Loudly.

“Dude…”

“Y-yeah?”

“Dude!”

“What?”

“Are you serious?” Prompto kept his eyes on the camera.

Noctis finally turned back to his regular, untwisted self. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the gigantic smile on Prompto's face.he was probably going to make a joke about the crappy gift.

“It's okay if you don't like it.” 

“Nah! Dude! Seriously! This! I mean, THIS! I have not held a disposable camera since I was,like, six or seven! This is awesome!”

Without warning, Prompto flung his arms around Noctis and dropped him on his back for a big hug. It was, by far, the warmest, light hearted hug he had ever felt in his life. The young king slowly let his arms follow up with his own gesture, placing his hands on the other's back.

“You welcome.”

“Thanks, Noct!”

“Uh-huh…”

“Yuuuup…”

Prompto was hovering over his friend and they were both locked on to each other. The occasional creepy mine sounded off as well as chirping bugs and foot stomps of local wildlife. It all helped in creating a non-awkward environment for the two. Prompto blinked profusely at the sudden realization that Noctis still had his hands on his back. 

Nobody moved. Neither one didn't know when the best time to pull apart was. They were at a loss at what to do. Prompto began to mentally kick himself. He put them in this situation and now he didn't know how to act. It was definitely inappropriate to be on top of the king like this. 

And it was probably not befitting for a king to have his hands on Prompto the way he did. Nor was the movement of his hands nervously moving upward to the blond’s shoulders. That's where he stopped and pushed himself up to sit. Prompto moved back as to give Noctis his space. 

“Sorry about that.”

“Don't be. I'm ok. Not like we got hurt or whatever.”

“True. But still. You know.”

Noctis only shrugged his shoulders. He knew exactly what the blond was saying. But, at this very moment, he was feeling something and ready to act without thinking. So as he leaned in and came close to closing their friendly gap, he stopped. Prompto had shut his eyes as if he knew what was coming but the king moved away, ever do slightly.

Instead, he put his hand over Prompto's and snatched the camera out of his lose grip. The blond slowly opened his eyes, his vision focusing on Noctis in front of him. The camera was to his face, finger on the button, and his free hand moving off his shoulder, down his arm,to get out of the shot.

“Wait!” Prompto stopped Noctis's finger before it could push.

“What's wrong?”

Prompto grabbed the camera and looked at it's other feature. He flicked a little switch and returned it to Noctis.

“You'll need the flash on. Cause it's dark.”

“Oh. Right.”

The blond returned to his position perfectly, making sure his hand was back underneath Noctis and decided to give him his best smile. It was dorky. The tilt of his head was what made the young king laugh.

He calmed himself and finally took the picture. The flash was awful and somehow blinded both of them. Both young men hid their faces in their hands, rubbing their eyes after being attacked by the camera's flash. 

Once they recovered, Noctis returned the camera to Prompto who took it back febrilishly. Did he dare take a picture of him as well? He was still sitting in front of him. Still starting at him. Still making him feel funny. He looked down at his camera then at Noctis, back to the camera, and so on.

Eventually Noctis took the hint and nodded. To make things a little harder on the blond, he gave his hand a good squeeze. That definitely made his cheeks blush. The blond focused on his target and took the shot.

Once again, the flash got them. Prompto grumbled in annoyance. He covered his eyes again and, in that moment, Noctis took advantage of the opportunity. Letting go of his hand, he planted his hands near the base if Prompto's neck, pushed forward quickly and pecked the blond's lips. When he let go, he let himself fall back down and gazed at the stars.

“Noct? Did you just-”

“Huh?”

“You-”

“Get down here.”

Noctis patted the ground next to him,never turning his sights away from the sky. He was embarrassed but, oddly enough, in a really good way. At the moment, he wasn't sure if he could face Prompto.

The blond settled down timidly, next to Noctis. He too couldn't face the young king just yet so he joined in stargazing. They fell silent for a while, both concentrating on different little stars. The natural sounds around them seemed to quell their previous actions tremendously.

Like everything to recently happen in Prompto's life, it was all rushing in so fast. He just met his Penpal hours ago. They did a thing or two, ate an amazing dinner at The Crow's Nest and now this. Not to mention his first peck. Should get even count that as a kiss? When did he suddenly feel this way? 

“You know what's funny?” 

“Hm?”

Prompto smiled, sighing at the same time. He put his hands behind his back, adjusting his head in a more comfortable position. 

“I sold my house. Well, a friend sold it for me. Or, I'm assuming she sold it. I dunno. My point…. I kind of took a chance and now I'm hoping for the best. Maybe get into that school if photography… get a job… be friends with you?”

By the way Prompto ended his last statement, Noctis could tell he was unsure of their status. Not that he made it easy after going in for the lamest kiss ever. But, he figured it do them both good to start somewhere.

“I thought we've been friends?”

“Oh, well, yeah. But, I mean… now that I'm here. With you.”

“Still friends, Prom.”

The blond turned to Noctis who was still looking up. But, he was smiling as well. 

“Guess you're stuck with me.”

Prompto became confused. 

“What do you mean?”

Finally turning to his friend, Noctis explained.

“Since you kind of don't have a place to go back to, you're stuck with me.”

“I'm not followi-”

“You can stay with me till you get your own place.”

“At your castle?”

“It's not a castle.”

“Ok. So first, you give me a shit ton of money. Then you give me a place to live? You sure you're not a sugar dad-”

“Don't finish that-”

“...daddy.”

Noctis sighed. Prompto, laughed hysterically at the young king's expense. He went back to looking up, pouty face in tow. The blond kept laughing till Noctis had enough. He popped up off the ground and was now over the blond. 

Prompto froze up, looking Noctis dead in the eyes.

“I knew that get you to stop.”

“Dude…”

One more time, Noctis closed the friendly gap between them stopping before he could do anything.

“To think we were just pen pals.” Noctis exclaimed.

“Who'd have thought we'd be here.” Prompto added.

A second of heated silence past and Noctis gave his best friend a double wink. Prompto did as well as Noctis removed himself from over Prompto. They were back to stargazing. Back to reminiscing in their minds of their letters shared and the trials they overcame to get to this point. Noctis would have to thank Ignis one day while Prompto thanked himself for taking the time to go to the principal and counselor on that fateful day. 

It was time for the next part of their lives. Who knew where it could go from here. Prompto looked at Noctis who was looking at him. What he saw was his imperial pen pal.

“Prompto…”

“Noctis?”

“Thank you for writing me.”

“You too, bud. Thanks.”

“So… you ready for tomorrow?”

Prompto nodded with an eager grin, “You bet!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, thank you to everyone who has read this, bookmarked this, kudos, commented, you name it! Thank you for reading this idea of mine! I never thought this would get as many kudos as it did! I've enjoyed writing this so much and knowing it's being read as well! I hope to write more stuff later on and MAYBE a one shot following Iggy and Gladio's time away at Galdin! Thank you all, very much for your support!!! Hugs for everyone!!! I hope you enjoyed! <3 <3 <3

**Author's Note:**

> Updates will most likely happen weekly it biweekly due to my vigorous job searching right now! This is just an idea I've had for some time and I'm finally getting around to writing it! Yay!


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